How Long Should Drivers Stay in Lower Series Before Moving Up to Cup?
What’s Happening? The debate about the right time for a driver to jump up to the Cup Series was ignited…
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Corey Heim is arguably the hottest prospect in all of NASCAR, and fans are clambering to see him in the Cup Series sometime soon. However, Bob Pockrass cooled the heat on those rumors, reporting that a full-time ride is unlikely while he does expect Heim to race in the Cup Series in some capacity in 2025. Why would Heim not jump up to the Cup Series full-time in 2025?
Corey Heim is in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Typically, drivers spend between three and four full-time seasons in the lower series before jumping up to the Cup Series, and we dive into that in the article below.
What’s Happening? The debate about the right time for a driver to jump up to the Cup Series was ignited…
However, Heim is a unique case. He has nine wins in 54 races, 40 top-10s, and 27 top-fives, a 50% top-five and 74% top-10 rate. While the win number is impressive, Heim has been ridiculously consistent, which makes him attractive to teams higher up the food chain. He also has only two DNFs combined in the last two seasons, again something teams look for.
Ty Gibbs is one driver who broke the mold of racing between three and four seasons in the lower series. He won 11 Xfinity Series races and the 2022 Championship and moved straight up to Joe Gibbs Racing despite only one full-time plus one part-time season.
On paper, Heim could definitely be Cup Series ready, and with multiple reports indicating 23XI Racing is in line to purchase one of SHR’s three charters, that seems like a slam dunk on paper. However, it’s not that simple.
Heim seems to lack funding. He’s spent most of his time in the Truck and Xfinity Series, relying on Toyota-related sponsorship. The article below dives more into the specifics of that.
What’s Happening? Corey Heim is one of the top prospects in the sport, and he is making his third Cup…
If he doesn’t bring enough money, he may have to stay in the Truck Series until the finances work out. Pockrass was very clear that Toyota and Heim are committed to each other, and it seems they will work together to ensure Heim gets the proper opportunity.
Currently, Riley Herbst is one of the favorites for that potential third 23XI Racing car. He brings a lot of funding with him and has ties to Monser Energy, a 23XI Racing sponsor.
What’s Happening? In the wake of Stewart-Haas Racing’s closure, Bob Pockrass quickly reported that 23XI Racing would purchase one of…
If 23XI Racing purchases a third charter, they have that option. Multiple reports have also indicated that NASCAR could limit teams to only three charters per team under the next charter deal. If that does come to pass, is there a place for Heim at 23XI Racing?
NASCAR would have to allow teams to field additional “Open” entries alongside the limited chartered ones. If that is the case, then Heim can absolutely make multiple starts for 23XI in 2025. Time will tell how exactly his works out.
Toyota seems to plan to continue investing in Heim in the future. However, the timeline may be a little longer than some fans hope.
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