Corey Heim Signed as First 23XI Racing Development Driver
Corey Heim, a regular in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has inked a multi-year agreement with 23XI Racing, which will see the 22-year-old become the team’s first development driver.
The Marietta, Georgia-native will continue as a member of the Toyota Driver Development Program (TD2) and will also compete in select NASCAR Cup Series events for the organization, while also running a part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule for Sam Hunt Racing.
“It’s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I’m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year. I’m blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes,” said Heim. “The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and I’m excited to learn from the organization. I’m also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.”
Heim, who piloted 23XI Racing’s third entry last Summer at Nashville Superspeedway, will run multiple events behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, with veteran NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Bootie Barker serving as the shot-caller.
The 12-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner will make his season debut with 23XI Racing at Kansas Speedway in May – the site of one of his two NASCAR Cup Series starts filling in for Erik Jones at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2024.
“Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025,” said Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing. “Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.”
Sam Hunt Racing will serve as a mutli-race home for Heim in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, an organization that he’s worked with over the last couple of seasons to amass his 17 Xfinity Series starts, in which time he’s earned three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Heim’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of the 2025 campaign will come next weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), where he’ll pilot the No. 24 Toyota GR Supra, as a teammate to Dean Thompson – who pilots the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra on a full-time basis.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Corey back with us at SHR this year, working alongside 23XI on his professional development,” said Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing. “Corey has become like a little brother to me -- we understand each other’s journeys, and he genuinely cares about the growth and success of SHR long-term. We have had some very strong performances together in the past, so we are looking to continue maximizing our resources and flexing strength as we chase that first organizational win and develop Corey as a Sunday driver.”
While competing part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series for 23XI Racing and Sam Hunt Racing, Heim will continue to focus his championship-running efforts on the NASCAR Truck Series, where he competes full-time for TRICON Garage.
Heim enters his third season competing full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series, in which time he’s manage to collect 12 wins and 33 top-five finishes. The driver is the youngest in Truck Series history to reach 10 wins, and has made back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4.
“Corey continues to impress on-track with his racing acumen and talent behind the wheel and also continues to work hard behind the scenes with TRD partners, at TPC, and on the simulator,” said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD U.S.A. “We are pleased to have a robust schedule in place for Corey this year and know that he will take advantage of every opportunity to continue to grow as a race car driver. Everyone at TRD looks forward to a long tenure with Corey as we support him in reaching his ultimate goals in NASCAR competition.”
One of NASCAR’s brightest up-and-coming stars, Heim will be a driver to watch this season as he embarks on a journey to be competitive in all of NASCAR’s top-three divisions.
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Joseph Srigley covers NASCAR for TobyChristie.com, Racing America, and OnSI, and is the owner of the #SrigleyStats brand. With a higher education in the subjects of business, mathematics, and data analytics, Joseph is able to fully understand the inner workings of the sport through multiple points of perspective.