It feels like cheating on a partner given my role at Frontstretch, but there’s been a few times this season where I’ve come out of a weekend of NASCAR racing with a thought that was unimaginable two years ago.
“Dang, I think the Truck race might have been the best race this weekend.”
I was on the edge of my seat during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Homestead-Miami Speedway race when Corey Heim, Layne Riggs and Kyle Larson duked it out throughout the night before mechanical issues for Heim gave former NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson the win.
Chandler Smith snuck away with a win in a dramatic finish at North Wilkesboro Speedway when Heim and Riggs got tangled up.
The race at Michigan International Speedway was chaotic as all get out, but the action under green was fast and exciting before Stewart Friesen provided the series with a feel-good win.
So with an off-week in the Xfinity Series, I looked forward to the Truck race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend.
The race had its moments, both good and bad, but the thought at the end was the same as it’s been for most Truck races since the start of summer.
“This Heim guy is way too good to be in this series anymore.”
When it comes to parity in NASCAR, Connor Zilisch and Heim have done their part to make their respective series a showcase of their talents. Zilisch has already been rewarded for his success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, getting a well-deserved call up to Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series next year.
While Zilisch has gotten up to speed quickly, despite a pair of injuries in a roller coaster of a rookie season, Heim has shown his skills over several seasons in the Truck Series and is only getting better. From three wins in 2023 to six wins in 2024 to a record-tying nine wins this season with four more races remaining.
Heim certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s gotten occasional starts in the Xfinity Series for Sam Hunt Racing and in the Cup Series for 23XI Racing. In his most recent Cup start, Heim registered a top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.
And yet, the buzz about him jumping to the Cup Series is far more subdued compared to Zilisch.
Heim shouldn’t even be worried about finding an Xfinity ride, but there are a few reasons why.
For one, leaping from Trucks to Cup isn’t all that common. Carson Hocevar is making it work currently, but the sample size of those who’ve done it to much success is limited.
Mike Skinner already had a ton of experience in racing under his belt when he jumped from the Truck Series to Cup in 1997. Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards were able to do it for RFK Racing and quickly proved to be the young phenoms they were hyped to be. Travis Kvapil was an example of someone who probably needed more time behind the wheel before going full-time Cup racing in 2005 after winning a Truck championship in 2003.
Yet there’s people within NASCAR and Toyota who think Heim’s ready. Bootie Barker, a longtime crew chief who’s been back on the box for Heim in his Cup starts, said so. He has endorsements from Denny Hamlin and the man whose record he matched at New Hampshire, Greg Biffle.
But there’s more to it than a matter of earning his stripes or a seal of approval. There’s also a reported longstanding beef between Heim and Ty Gibbs from their days in the ARCA Menards Series, racing for the 2020 title. No disrespect to those working in the series, but it feels like there’s bigger fish for both drivers and their manufacturer to fry than fights from the fourth tier of NASCAR.
It’s not like the 2020 title decided much of anything in their respective careers. Five years later, Gibbs has risen to Cup and Heim is on the cusp of doing so by all measures. He could be doing a lot for the manufacturer to be in any of the three Toyota organizations in the Cup Series. Is Toyota really going to let Gibbs — who coincidentally is being questioned by a future Hall of Famer for his commitment to the team above himself — be the deciding factor on if a generational talent gets his start in the sport’s top division?
As much as I’d selfishly like to see Heim as a regular in the Xfinity Series mixing it up with more experienced drivers like Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill, it’s not a proper reward for his efforts in Trucks to be saddled in a Sam Hunt Racing car for a year when we know he can compete at the Cup level.
If Toyota is serious about growing its program as a whole, Heim’s future best serves him going directly to a top-series ride.
It’s a shame politics might be what keeps him waiting another year, or maybe even longer.
James Krause joined Frontstretch in March 2024 as a contributor. Krause was born and raised in Illinois and graduated from Northern Illinois University. He currently works in La Crosse, Wisconsin as a local sports reporter, including local short track racing. Outside of racing, Krause loves to keep up with football, music, anime and video games.