Corey Heim Not Sweating Wait For Full-Time Cup Opportunity

Corey Heim not being a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks is one of the most confusing things in the sport today. The 22-year-old racer has already amassed 14 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, including three through the opening eight races of the 2025 season.

This weekend, Heim will pull double duty as he will also make his first NASCAR Cup Series start of the season as he'll drive the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota Camry XSE with primary sponsorship from Robinhood.

I believe you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the industry who doesn't feel Heim is ready to go full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing, but yet, he is clinging to a part-time schedule again this season. That being said, Heim isn't sweating it out during his wait for a full-time opportunity in the NASCAR Cup Series, and is instead thankful for the opportunities he does have in front of him.

“I don’t really let that get to me too much. I just focus on the current opportunities that I have at hand," Heim explained in a media availability on Saturday. "I definitely feel like I’m ready to make Cup starts – I don’t know if I’m ready to be a full-time Cup driver, that is what I’m learning as I go. I certainly feel like I am, but it is going out and proving that. I’m really happy with the opportunities that Toyota and 23XI have given me the past couple of years. I’m very happy with my 11 crew on the Truck side, and the 67 guys on the Cup side. I think I have a lot of things going for me in the right direction, and I’m very happy with my opportunities.”

While it has to be hard to not be antsy waiting to take your racing career to the next step, Heim finds solace in the fact that he has a great No. 11 TRICON Garage team under him in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he continues to be a formidable contender year in, and year out.

“I think a lot of it comes back to how good our 11 team is in the Truck side right now," Heim explained when asked how he doesn't get impatient for a Cup ride. "When you are winning races and competing very consistently, it’s fun and you are having a good time. It is rewarding. I feel like if maybe I was struggling more on the Truck side or maybe seeking other opportunities, I feel like it would be different, but I’m really happy with my opportunities in the Truck Series. We are competitive every week, and it is really fun. It is rewarding – that is the main thing.”

That being said, the young driver from Georgia does have an opportunity in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend, and while he didn't get to hand-pick his starts with 23XI Racing, he's ultra-excited as this one will come at his favorite track on the NASCAR National Series schedule.

“I’m definitely really excited. [Kansas Speedway] is actually my favorite track, so to be back here is awesome," Heim stated. "To run double duty and have a chance at three straight wins in the Truck Series tonight is a special opportunity, and for Sunday, really excited to be running with 23XI Racing in Robin Neon Robinhood scheme. Such a cool opportunity to have a company like Robinhood on our Camry. A lot of Robinhood users are young and early in their investing career, like me, so really cool, full-circle moment for myself and 23XI Racing. I really can’t wait.”

As for why Kansas is his favorite track, Heim says it stems from just finding comfort at the 1.5-mile speedway out of the box when he got his feet wet in the ARCA Menards Series. The driver has loads of experience at Kansas Speedway as he's competed in six ARCA races, six NASCAR Truck races, and he even made a NASCAR Cup Series start a season ago in relief of the injured Erik Jones.

Heim finished 22nd in last season's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas, he'll look to better that finish this time around, while also keeping his eye on the prize, which is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. A fourth Truck Series win of the season on Saturday night would go a long way to the driver achieving that goal.

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