Corey Heim’s part-time slate in the NASCAR Cup Series has been nothing short of impressive. Piloting the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, the defending Craftsman Truck Series champion stunned the NASCAR world last June when he won in his 13th career start at Naval Base Coronado.
Two starts later, Heim was in victory lane again, this time winning the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Heim became the first driver since A.J. Foyt to win his first two NASCAR Cup Series races within his first 15 starts.
On Sunday at Phoenix, Heim impressed again by driving all the way from the 36th starting position to finish fifth in the Freeway Insurance 500.
Corey Heim Reflects on Impressive Phoenix Result
The afternoon did not start out the way Heim hoped.
The 24-year-old out of Marietta, Georgia started deep in the field, struggled with the balance of his race car early, and surrendered multiple spots on pit road due to a miscue.
“I kind of just was sloppy in Stage 1 really. I mean, obviously, started deep. Missed the balance a little bit early; we were really free. Stalled it on pit road after we gained like six spots and gave those all back. I had to take the wave around at one point, so it was a roller coaster to say the least,” Heim said.
While the race did not start out how Heim liked, he kept chipping away throughout the 312-lap event. Ultimately, Heim would find himself with a top-five finish at the end of the day. Slowly but surely, Heim clawed his way up through the pack.
“I had a lot of speed in our Mobil 1 Camry. Climbed through the field, just kind of picked our way through. Kind of a typical race for us. We always kind of start deep, but just consistently, slowly climbed through the standings and got a P5 today, so pretty happy about that,” Heim said.
Corey Heim Set To Compete Full-Time For 23XI Racing in 2027
Earlier this year, it was announced that Corey Heim will be promoted to full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for 23XI Racing in 2027. Heim will replace Riley Herbst in the No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota, who is currently in his second season with the team. Herbst will join Legacy Motor Club for the 2027 campaign in the No. 84 Toyota.
Heim began competing part-time for 23XI Racing in 2025 and made six starts in the No. 67 machine. He returned for another part-time run this season, where he has notched two victories as a part-time driver.
In the Craftsman Truck Series, Heim has scored 26 career wins, which ranks fifth on the series all-time wins list. Last year, Heim earned a record 12 wins in a season on his way to winning the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series championship.