23XI and FRM Win Major Victory Over NASCAR: Can Race as Chartered Teams in 2025
What’s Happening? Following a re-filing of their Preliminary Injunction, a North Carolina Judge has ruled that 23XI Racing and Front Row…
Wednesday, a North Carolina Judge ruled that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are allowed to race as Chartered teams in 2025. However, in that filing, there is a shocking mention of Corey Heim, a highly touted NASCAR prospect, and his relationship with 23XI Racing
What’s Happening? Following a re-filing of their Preliminary Injunction, a North Carolina Judge has ruled that 23XI Racing and Front Row…
On page 8, the ruling from Judge Kenneth Bell states, “Corey Heim also wrote that he needs answers “right away” so that he can ‘speak with other Cup race teams to see if any other opportunities would exist.'”
The “answers” Heim was requesting refer to his contract status following the Nov. 8 ruling that the teams would not get their Preliminary Injunction to race as Chartered teams in 2025.
Prior to that Nov. 8 ruling, 23XI and FRM claimed that drivers “like Tyler Reddick” could leave the team if they lost their Charters. When the teams re-filed their lawsuit on Nov. 27, certain sections were redacted; most expected these to be contract terms involving drivers who could leave the team. Wednesday’s ruling further confirmed these suspicions by clearly lining out the drivers who could have been free agents if the court denied the teams their Charters.
“As described above, since the Court denied the initial motion, 23XI’s top 2024 driver Tyler Reddick has given notice that the team is in breach of his driver contract, which will allow him to leave the team if the breach is not cured in 30 days (by December 18, 2024). Drivers Riley Herbst, Noah Gragson, Bubba Wallace and Corey Heim have similar contracts and/or have expressed their need for immediate resolution of the uncertainty surrounding the approaching racing season.” – Page 16
The teams utilized this as a key reason for their Injunction by claiming that loss of Charters would result in loss of drivers and sponsors, such as Monster Energy. These sponsorships would result in irreparable harm, something they needed to prove to earn the Injunction. As Page 16 confirms, not only were these hypotheticals but real events, with Tyler Reddick informing 23XI they were in breach of contract.
What’s Happening? Top prospect Corey Heim will stay with Toyota, at least in the short term. However, it doesn’t look like…
This ruling confirms there is a relationship between 23XI and Cory Heim beyond his one-off start with the team last season. For the past few seasons, Heim has been stellar with Toyota’s Truck Series team, TRICON Garage.
Despite his great seasons, he has yet to get a full-time promotion to a Toyota Xfinity or Cup Series team. When he recently re-signed with TRICON and Toyota, most suspected that there was a long-term plan for him in the Toyota camp as drivers in similar spots who did not have long-term plans have left Toyota in the past.
Rumblings in the garage area suggested that this future could be with 23XI. Now, this ruling confirms not only that he has a relationship with the team but also, as referenced on page 16, that he has a contract with the team.
What this contract means for Heim’s short term is unknown. We do know he will race in the No. 11 for TRICON in the truck series next season, but now the door is open as to whether or not he could get part-time Cup Series starts with the team.
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