Corey Heim will join Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing team as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver beginning in the 2027 season. While the development marks the fulfillment of a big opportunity for Heim, it also signals the end of Riley Herbst’s tenure in the seat, with Heim ready to replace him when the transition happens.
At present, Heim enters the promotion as the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion after rewriting the record books with a 12-win campaign last year. The 23-year-old has been part of the 23XI Racing development pipeline since 2024, making one Cup Series start during that season before expanding his schedule to four appearances in 2025.
With no full-time Cup seat available for the current season, Heim has continued working on his skills through a part-time role in 23XI Racing’s No. 67 entry. The organization disclosed a 12-race schedule for its fourth, unchartered Cup car in February.
This weekend at Nashville Superspeedway will be Heim’s fifth Cup Series start of the season with the organization. The Tennessee venue was the same track where he made his team debut two years ago. Since then, Heim has left tire marks all over NASCAR’s Truck Series record book, collecting 25 wins across 93 starts. He also won the 2025 championship.
Last year alone, Heim turned heads throughout the garage when he paced the field for 1,627 laps across the season, leading at least one lap in every event on the schedule, while also reaching the 12-win mark.
Yet despite compiling a head-start that would make most prospects pound on the door of the Cup Series, Heim’s rise has followed a slower burn than many of his contemporaries like Connor Zilisch. While other young standouts received opportunities shortly after finding success, Heim’s climb has been a bit slower.
To date, Heim has made 11 Cup Series starts under the 23XI Racing banner, and eight more appearances remain on his schedule for the current season. Even within that limited sample size, he has shown flashes of what fans and teams can expect once he receives a full-time opportunity.
His best Cup finish came at Bristol Motor Speedway last fall, where he crossed the line in sixth place. In addition to that, earlier this month at Texas Motor Speedway, Heim appeared ready for a breakthrough performance after leading a career-high 69 laps before misfortune struck with only 13 laps remaining, ending his day in a crash, as it ended his race in 31st.
Denny Hamlin, who has consistently backed Heim’s development behind the scenes, welcomed the promotion while also taking time to acknowledge Riley Herbst’s contributions to the organization.
“We’re excited to welcome Corey to our full-time roster next season and look forward to watching him race every weekend in 2027. Corey is a gifted driver who is continuing to get better and better with each race he runs. He has a bright future in the sport and joins a team that is continuing to build a solid foundation.”
“We’re thankful to Riley for all he has done to help get the 35 team going and appreciate the work that he and the team will continue to do this season to be competitive each week.”
But for Heim, the announcement was the realization of a dream that had fueled countless sacrifices. Reflecting on the moment, he spoke about the path that brought him to NASCAR’s top division and the support system that helped him get there.
Heim explained that becoming a NASCAR Cup Series driver had been his dream since childhood and acknowledged the sacrifices made by both himself and his family along the journey. He added,
“When the opportunity came up to be a development driver with 23XI Racing, I trusted my gut and knew this was the place I wanted to build a long-term career. From everyone at 23XI to the team at Toyota Racing, I’ve been blessed to have support from so many people along the way. I can’t wait for the 2027 season to begin.”
So far this season, Heim’s best finish came at Kansas Speedway, where he brought the car home in 15th place. However, his performance at Texas remains the benchmark of his season.
