It doesn’t take much for NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin to recognize a rising star in NASCAR. When it came to 23XI Racing prospect Corey Heim, one race was all it took.
While Mark Martin is not known to praise every prospect coming through NASCAR’s ranks, after this past Friday’s Truck Series race at Darlington Raceway, one driver is on the mind of the NASCAR Hall of Famer.
After watching Corey Heim slice his way through the field in the race’s closing laps, the 40-time Cup Series winner came away convinced that Heim is the future face of the Michael Jordan co-owned Cup Series powerhouse 23XI Racing.
“They [23XI Racing] have Corey Heim signed, and I’m going to tell you, he very likely could be another superstar in NASCAR… It was an amazing truck race,” Martin said during the latest episode of his podcast, the Mark Martin Archive Podcast.
Friday’s race featured a field stacked with experience, as Cup regulars mixed with the best of the Truck Series, and for most of the night, it looked like track position would decide everything. However, Heim, the reigning Truck Series Champion, had other ideas.
A late pit call dropped Heim outside the top five with only a handful of laps remaining, though this gamble for tires would pay.
The 23-year-old charged his way to the front on his fresh tires after the restart. By the time the field took the white flag, Heim was in contention, stealing the lead from Ross Chastain on the final lap.
Like many, that moment stuck with Martin.
Heaping praise on Heim, he added, “He went by Chastain so fast that Ross didn’t even have a chance. . . he caught him and went by him before Ross saw him coming.”
The former Roush Racing veteran even pointed to Chastain’s confusion in a private conversation before Sunday’s Cup race, underscoring just how sudden Heim’s move really was.
“That was good for Corey Heim. I’m a huge fan of his. The more I listen to him, the more I like him,” Martin said.
Friday’s emphatic win tested the young phenom and, once again, thrust him right back into the Cup Series conversation.
A season ago, Heim pieced together a run that will stand out for years to come, racking up a record 12 wins in 25 races, leading more than 1,600 laps, and sealing off his full-time Truck Series career with a championship.
As of now, the Marietta, Georgia native is running a limited Truck Series schedule while continuing his Cup Series development path with 23XI Racing, where he’s slated for a career high 12 Cup Series races in the No. 67 Toyota Camry.
This year, his plans may have shifted, but the momentum clearly hasn’t for Heim, making him a prime candidate for a full-time ride with 23XI next season.
Nonetheless, Riley Herbst is under contract at 23XI, largely backed by his strong ties with the Monster Energy brand, for at least this season.
Though nothing is set in stone, there is a reality where Heim might have to wait until 2027 for a full-time Cup Series opportunity.
Even so, nights like Darlington could help fast-track that timeline and force 23XI to bring in the young gun.
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