Corey Heim's Meteoric Rise Signals 23XI Racing's Anticipation of a Superstar

Corey Heim’s imminent full-time debut in the NASCAR Cup Series is already yielding results that have left industry insiders and his own team abuzz with anticipation. On May 30, 23XI Racing officially announced Heim’s transition to full-time competition, a move that, in retrospect, appears to have been a prescient decision. In the mere five weeks since this announcement, the 23-year-old driver from Marietta, Georgia, has showcased a level of performance that positions him as a legitimate championship contender, even before he has fully immersed himself in the top-tier division.

Heim’s recent success is punctuated by two significant victories in the NASCAR Cup Series. He first claimed a win at Naval Base North Island and most recently, secured the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. These triumphs in the Cup Series do not even account for his impressive performance in the NASCAR Truck Series, where he has amassed three wins in six starts this season. This rapid ascent has led to widespread acknowledgment of his talent, with his crew chief, Bootie Barker, asserting that Heim is already among the elite drivers in the division.

"I think everybody thinks I’m always joking, but he’s more talented than everybody else," Barker stated, acknowledging the high praise. "That’s almost a disservice to some of the great drivers here, but that’s not the case. Like all the people we were racing at the end are the best of the best, tremendous. Show much respect to them, but Corey is there in talent. 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."

Barker further elaborated on the team’s potential, suggesting that even greater success could have been achieved if their car had full-time status, which would have allowed for improved qualifying efforts each week. "If we would have had a better metric in qualifying, we would have won more already," Barker commented.

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The foresight of 23XI Racing’s leadership in securing Heim’s future was highlighted during the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR. A publicly disclosed text message exchange between team co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan revealed Hamlin’s strong recommendation to sign Heim to a multiyear deal. Jordan’s affirmative response, "lock him up," indicated a unified vision for the young driver. Team president Steve Lauletta views this early validation as a testament to Heim’s potential.

"Bootie mentioned it, Denny has many times before," Lauletta said. "That’s why Denny has had his eye on him and why Toyota has invested in Corey as much. 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. The relationship he’s built with everybody at (the shop) (and) with the other drivers. I just think he’s mature beyond his years and it’s showing in a very quick way."

While Heim’s victory at the Brickyard 400 involved a degree of fortunate circumstances, a common element in many Sunday races, his ability to capitalize on those moments was crucial. He initially lost the lead on a penultimate restart when Joey Logano attempted a daring three-wide maneuver involving Heim and Denny Hamlin. However, Hamlin’s subsequent push propelled Heim back to the front when it mattered most.

Reflecting on the pivotal moments of the Brickyard 400, Heim described the communication with his spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, and crew chief Bootie Barker. "’We got to muscle up on this restart’ and ‘This is more than likely going to decide the outcome of the race’," Heim recounted. "That was before Denny got the lead on me. Joey tried to put me three there, kill both of our momentum. That got Denny the lead. I thought that was potentially the race. Got another caution. ‘Here we go, might have a shot at it.’ Then Joey gave me a really good push up front."

Heim’s current record stands at two wins in eight Cup Series starts this year, and remarkably, two victories in his first fifteen Cup Series starts overall, a feat not accomplished by a driver on a part-time basis since Davey Allison and Tim Richmond in 1987. Furthermore, he is the first driver since A.J. Foyt in 1965 to win two of his first fifteen starts in the series.

"I’m not much of a stats guy, honestly," Heim admitted when presented with these historical benchmarks. "Sounds like it’s a pretty good one. Definitely cool to be included with a guy like that. Been a crazy year so far. To win two of my first 15 is something I never thought I would accomplish, but here we are. It’s a crazy feeling."

One of his victories, the Brickyard 400, is considered a crown jewel event, a prestigious race that has been won by legends of the sport including Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson. Heim’s name now joins this esteemed list before even embarking on his first full-time points-racing season.

"It’s cool to talk about, I guess," Heim responded with characteristic understatement. "I don’t really ever keep up with how many crown jewel wins most guys have, I guess. Yeah, I mean, just to be able to win it for myself is just insane. Just super thankful for 23XI, Toyota, everyone that put me in position to do this. Hopefully cross some more off in my career. Who knows, maybe we can win all of them one day. We’ll see."

Given Heim’s current trajectory and the exceptional results achieved ahead of schedule, the ceiling for his future success in the NASCAR Cup Series appears to be virtually limitless. His performance has solidified 23XI Racing’s conviction that they have indeed cultivated a future superstar within their ranks.