Denny Hamlin has described Corey Heim as a generational talent and his two NASCAR Cup victories in his first 15 races bear witness to that description; however, the path 23XI Racing created for him to full-time competition in stock car racing’s premier series should not be discounted.
In fact, it should set an example for other teams to follow. Granted, 23XI Racing is one of NASCAR Cup racing’s top teams and Toyota is leading the other manufacturers in performance this year, both of which have contributed to Heim’s success. But it’s the team’s calculated plan for developing his race craft before his first full-time Cup season in 2027 that’s already paying dividends.
Heim began his part-time Cup schedule in 2024 while competing full-time in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series. He entered three races that year—two for Legacy Motor Club and one for 23XI Racing. His Cup debut came at Dover with a 25th-place finish. He followed that with a 22nd at Kansas and a 29th at Nashville.
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Corey Heim at the Brickyard.
Last year, while Heim dominated the Truck Series en route to his championship in his TRICON Garage entry, 23XI Racing created a part-time team for him. Veteran crew chief Bootie Barker would oversee it in addition to his competition leadership duties for the operation’s three full-time teams. Heim’s part-time schedule increased to four Cup races in 2025, but he failed to qualify for the Chicago Street Course race. This year, it’s 12.
“I just think he’s mature beyond his years and it’s showing in a very quick way.”
By the time Heim enters his first full-time Cup Series season, he will have competed in 19 Cup races and on almost every style track that comprises the 36-race schedule. He already has competed in three races at Kansas and Nashville, one at Dover, Richmond, Bristol, Daytona, Texas, Charlotte, San Diego, Chicago, and Indianapolis. Remaining on his schedule this year are the August 29 Daytona race, Darlington, October 11 at Charlotte, and the season finale at Homestead.
The time frame between the races allows the part-time operation and Heim, who’s not competing full-time in any series this year, to be well-prepared for each event.
“His approach, his work ethic, his race craft, just the amount of discipline that he has and maturity that he has just really shows in all of his preparation,” 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta says. “I just think he’s mature beyond his years and it’s showing in a very quick way.”
Until Heim recorded his first top 10 at Bristol in September 2025, his best finish had been 13th in his second race at Kansas. Now he has won two of his last three races—San Diego and Indianapolis—and finished ninth in the other at Chicagoland Speedway. Barker described Heim’s Indianapolis victory as “incredibly difficult” because of the “mental fortitude” it required.
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“Corey is there in talent,” Barker said. “Corey is also there in work ethic. He’s there as far as a mentality. He has all that now. That’s no guarantee going forward, but right now he has it.”
There are those who will compare Heim and Connor Zilisch, who produced a 10-victory season for JR Motorsports last year in the series then known as Xfinity. However, that’s not a realistic comparison. Zilisch entered his first full-time Cup Series season this year with only three Cup races under his belt and with a team that’s struggling with the new Chevrolet body and finding speed.
It will be interesting to see how Heim performs next year in his first full-time Cup Series season, but so far there seems to be little doubt that 23XI Racing possesses the correct formula for preparing a young driver for stock car racing’s biggest stage.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.