By David Morgan, Associate Editor
LEBANON, Tenn. – 2027 is Heim Time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
On Saturday, 23XI Racing made it official that the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion would be joining the organization on a full-time basis behind the wheel of the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE alongside teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
“Since I was five years old, all I ever wanted was to be a Cup driver. My family and I have sacrificed a ton to get me to this level, and I don’t take that for granted,” said Heim.
“When the opportunity came up to be a development driver with 23XI Racing, I trusted my gut and knew this was the place I wanted to build a long-term career. From everyone at 23XI to the team at TOYOTA RACING, I’ve been blessed to have support from so many people along the way. I can’t wait for the 2027 season to begin.”
The 23-year-old standout has been a part of the 23XI driver development program since the start of the 2025 season, making a total of nine Cup Series starts with the team, along with two additional starts with Legacy Motor Club in 2024.
Currently, Heim is in the midst of a 12-race stint with 23XI this season and will embark on his fifth start of the 2026 campaign this weekend in Nashville, marking a full circle moment for Heim as this track also served as his first start with the team back in 2024.
In his 11 starts this far in his Cup Series career, Heim scored a career best finish of sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2025 and this season led laps in both the Daytona 500 and at Texas Motor Speedway in early May.
Heim really shined during his time in the Truck Series, scoring 25 wins in 93 starts en route to a third-place finish in the points in 2023 and a runner-up finish in 2024.
But it was the 2025 season when the Marietta, Georgia native really set the motorsports world on fire, when he won nearly half of the races during that season, claiming 12 victories, 19 top-five finishes, 21 top-10 finishes, seven poles, and an average finish of 5.0 in 25 starts on his way to finally capturing the title.
After that record-breaking season, Heim elected to bet on himself and step back from full-time Truck Series racing this year, with the million-dollar question being when would he get his shot in the Cup Series.
Turns out he didn’t have to wait in the wings long.
“We’re excited to welcome Corey to our full-time roster next season and look forward to watching him race every weekend in 2027,” said 23XI co-owner, Denny Hamlin.
“Corey is a gifted driver who is continuing to get better and better with each race he runs. He has a bright future in the sport and joins a team that is continuing to build a solid foundation.”
With Heim coming on board in 2027, it also means that the current driver of the No. 35 car, Riley Herbst, will be looking for another ride next season following his two-year full-time stint with the team.
“We’re thankful to Riley for all he has done to help get the 35 team going and appreciate the work that he and the team will continue to do this season to be competitive each week,” Hamlin added.
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