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Corey Heim is one of Toyota’s hottest prospects in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Heim, who currently leads the Truck Series points lead, had a phenomenal 2023, and now many are asking where the TRD driver could head soon.
Corey Heim began racing nationally in 2019 in the ARCA Menards Series for Chad Bryant Racing. However, his most notable stint was driving for Venturini Motorsports in 2021.
In 2021, Heim put together five wins, 16 top-fives, and 20 top-tens, finishing second in points to Ty Gibbs. Heim would take an alternate route in 2022, piecing a schedule of part-time starts in the Truck Series, ARCA, and a few races in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.
Running for Kyle Busch in the Truck Series that season, Heim won in his second start of the season at Atlanta. However, a shakeup at TRD almost cost Heim a quality ride in 2023.
Kyle Busch joined Chevrolet and Richard Childress racing for 2023, leaving Toyota without a lead Truck Series team until David Gilliand Racing, now called Tricon Garage, switched from Ford to Toyota. In 2023, as Tricon’s lead driver, Heim won three races while boasting an average finish of 6.8.
Heim would fall short of the Championship and the Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2023. This season has played the redemption arc for Heim, who already has won five races. The current points leader, Heim, has won on diverse tracks this season, including a short track and a road course.
Along with more part-time starts in the Xfinity Series for Sam Hunt Racing, Heim got a lucky break after the unfortunate injury to Erik Jones at Talladega.
Jones, out indefinitely, needed a substitute for his Camry, and Legacy Motor Club called on the young Toyota driver. Heim drove the no. 43 in two races, following up with the opportunity to drive 23XI’s no. 50 entry at Nashville.
With enough confidence to get rides in the Cup Series, Heim is heading for great things.
Corey has many motivations for staying at Tricon, so why not? A championship-caliber driver and team pairing for at least one more year? However, Heim should be wary of getting stuck in that Truck Series, as that has happened to young drivers in the past.
The Xfinity Series is Heim’s traditional next step. While he is making part-time starts with Sam Hunt Racing, there is one specific Toyota team that many hoped Heim could find himself in the near future.
Joe Gibbs Racing currently fields two full-time Xfinity Series entries alongside one part-time entry. While the closest Heim has been to JGR are his starts with 23XI and KBM, this would be the prime spot for Heim to fall in the Xfinity Series.
Gibbs’s full-time entries, Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith, have not made public plans for 2025. If there were to be an opening, sponsorship may be the only thing holding Heim back.
While TRD has limited spots in the Xfinity Series, racing with another manufacturer could be another option. Ford has a potential opening at the HAAS Factory team alongside Chevrolet and JRM, which could call the TRD driver to shore.
TRD has become familiar with the position of losing top developmental talent. As Heim appears to be the real deal, TRD will be on the lookout for such a mutiny.
The least likely but still possible option for Heim. The Cup Series seems further away with the recent news that Legacy Motor Club has signed Erik Jones to a multi-year extension.
However, Stewart-Haas Racing’s selling of three charters could open a door for Heim as reports show Legacy MC and 23XI have seen to the allure of a third chartered entry. With ties to both teams, Heim would be a solid third option, given Chandler Smith or an unspoken third party wouldn’t fill those spots.
Even if Smith were to get the call from a Cup Series team, Heim could find himself as a prime candidate for a ride at the Xfinity level with JGR.
With all the unknowns circling Heim’s future, the unraveling of this story will be a major headline of Silly Season. As with all Silly Season news, the Daily Downforce has the news the moment it breaks.
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