There are some drivers currently on the NASCAR circuit who could use another year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series before moving up (or back up) to the Xfintiy Series and/or the Cup Series.
Corey Heim is not one of those drivers.
Heim is currently in his third full-time year of Truck Series competition, and has another two-thirds of a season or so in addition to those three full years. And in those three years, he has solidified himself as one of the top Cup Series prospects — enough of a prospect to where he could skip doing Xfinity full-time entirely and head to Cup.
Heim arguably could have been promoted after his first full-time season in 2023, but no rides in the Toyota camp (the manufacturer to which Heim is signed) were available. Heim was then expected to move up at the end of the 2024 season, but again was shut out of a ride in both Xfinity and Cup Series competition.
Heim’s lack of available rides in Toyota is not aided by the fact that a long-standing rivalry with Ty Gibbs, dating all the way back to their time in the ARCA Menards Series, will likely prevent Heim from ever setting foot in a seat for the top Toyota team in NASCAR.
Heim likely could have moved up to join Sam Hunt Racing’s Xfinity team full-time, but his TRICON Garage teammate Dean Thompson snagged the ride, as he brought family sponsorship with him. 23XI Racing bought a Cup charter from the closing Stewart-Haas Racing, but Heim again lost out on the seat to Riley Herbst, who also brought sponsorship to fund the ride.
Earlier this season, Heim — who was a reserve and sim driver for both 23XI and Legacy Motor Club — signed a development driver deal with 23XI that included select Cup starts with 23XI and select Xfinity starts with Sam Hunt Racing supported by 23XI. In fact, Heim is slated to make his second Cup start of the year this Sunday (June 1) at Nashville Superspeedway.
This is the closest path to Cup for Heim right now. Hopefully, that leads to something in 2026 that isn’t in the Truck Series.
Because at this point, a fourth year in the Truck Series would probably do more harm to Heim’s career than good.
If Heim were to stay another year in the Truck Series, then we have to discuss the possibility of Heim’s status as a Truck Series lifer, akin to Ben Rhodes or Matt Crafton. We know he can win — you could arguably make a case that Heim could have won every single race this season. It’s time to move him up.
What good would staying in the Truck Series another year do? At that point, he would be no different than the “Buschwhackers” fans have grown to despise. A proven winner dominating races full of rookies would not shine the greatest light on Heim in the Buschwhacking naysayer community.
Yes, Heim has (somehow) yet to win a Truck Series championship, but when you have the raw talent to compete on Sundays, does winning a Truck Series championship matter that much? It seems a little counterintuitive to the ultimate goal if Heim continually battles for Truck Series championships.
There’s no excuse anymore.
Aside from Connor Zilisch, Heim is the hottest prospect in NASCAR — and even at that, Zilisch is signed to Trackhouse Racing and will likely be Cup racing either next year or in 2027. He knows his future is lined up. While Heim is 23XI’s development driver, he’s been passed up several times now for full-time Xfinity and Cup rides, so we can’t be so quick to write him off as an automatic lock for Cup Series competition in 2026.
While a full Xfinity season with Sam Hunt Racing seems like busy work for Heim until a Cup seat opens up, it’d be better than staying a fourth season in the Truck Series. Don’t get me wrong — Heim and TRICON have great chemistry and if Heim ever goes Cup racing, he should/would likely get consideration for TRICON’s all-star truck here and there.
But it’s time to move him up the ladder.
The easiest path to Cup for Heim — save for being poached by another manufacturer like his former teammate Jesse Love was — is to slot him into the No. 35 23XI ride that Herbst currently drives. It’s no secret Herbst is a step behind compared to teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, and he obviously isn’t Cup ready either — or needs more time to develop at a team that isn’t championship-caliber like 23XI.
If you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely missed the lawsuit between Legacy and Rick Ware Racing, in which LMC is trying to obtain one of RWR’s charters for 2026. If that lawsuit goes Legacy’s way, Toyota doesn’t have to dump Herbst (and his Monster/Terrible Herbst money) entirely. Just send him to the third Legacy car to further develop behind Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, and allow Heim to slot into his No. 35.
Silly season is right around the corner, and it’s time for teams to think about whether or not they want to keep their current rosters or shake things up. And if 23XI has any smarts, it oughta lock Heim into a Cup seat soon before another manufacturer calls upon his services.
After his performance in the Truck Series this year, it would be absolutely disingenuous to the 22-year-old to keep him in the Truck Series another year.
And I’m sure his Truck Series competition would be thankful for his promotion.
Follow @AnthonyDamcott on X.
Anthony Damcott joined Frontstretch in March 2022. Currently, he is an editor and co-authors Fire on Fridays (Fridays); he is also the primary Truck Series reporter/writer and serves as an at-track reporter. He has also assisted with short track content and social media, among other duties he takes/has taken on for the site. In 2025, he became an official member of the National Motorsports Press Association. A proud West Virginia Wesleyan College alum from Akron, Ohio, Anthony is now a grad student. He is a theatre actor and fight coordinator in his free time.
You can keep up with Anthony by following @AnthonyDamcott on X.