Corey Heim, driver for TRICON Garage and a leading contender in the Corey Heim NASCAR Truck Championship, discussed his mindset and preparations with media ahead of the highly anticipated NASCAR Truck Series Championship at Phoenix. With a dominant season behind him and expectations high, Heim is seeking to achieve what’s eluded him and his team in previous campaigns—a championship victory at the series’ grand finale.
Heim Reflects on Expectations and Pressure as the Title Favorite
This year, Corey Heim enters Phoenix widely viewed as the top candidate for the championship, having led the field in wins and performance metrics throughout the season. However, Heim remains grounded, citing both the unpredictable nature of the NASCAR Truck Series and lessons learned from past experiences. Reflecting on the perception as the favorite, he said,
“If you ask what it’s like, I mean, it doesn’t really feel like it, you know? I’m kind of — since this is my third year, I felt like I was potentially the media favorite going into the last year. Maybe not the overwhelming, but we carried the most wins into Phoenix and kind of got our teeth kicked in a little bit last year. Yeah, I know we’ve statistically been the best truck and everything, but the way the format works everyone’s even, and if we miss it this week, then that’s the story. That’s it. So, just kind of focused on ourselves, not really looking at who’s the odds on, or odds off favorite. Just mostly kind of staying internal.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Throughout his remarks, Heim emphasized an inward focus, highlighting the importance of consistency and staying true to the team’s established routines rather than getting caught up in the external narrative or statistical comparisons with rivals like Ty Majeski and Kaden Honeycutt.
Season’s Journey: Near Misses and Development
Heim acknowledged that anything less than a title would feel like an incomplete season, pointing out the absence of a championship as the missing piece for the TRICON Garage NASCAR team over the last two years. He reiterated that while the team consistently fielded strong trucks, circumstances on race day—rather than a lack of ability or preparation—have been the primary obstacles to sealing the deal. Improving on previous short track weaknesses, such as those found at Martinsville and Loudon, became a point of emphasis after past disappointments, especially as flat tracks like Phoenix are pivotal for championship outcomes.
Assessing Competition: Ty Majeski and the Championship 4 Field
Ty Majeski, a leading rival and recent dominator at Phoenix, looms as a significant challenger for Friday’s race. Heim openly respects Majeski’s speed and past performance, stating,
“Probably, but once again we won’t really know until after practice. I feel like you’ve seen guys kind of like him last year. I mean he had really good races last year, no doubt, and he dominated races, but I don’t think anyone came into this race expecting him to just absolutely kind of wear us out. So, it could happen to any of us – Tyler (Ankrum), Kaden (Honeycutt) too – they could bring really good stuff and kind of have the same result. It’s just part of the championship race.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Heim also examined improvements in his own performance, especially at short and flat race tracks. This evolution, he feels, bridges last year’s gap with contenders like the No. 98 truck—Ty Majeski’s entry—and provides him with a complete package heading into this year’s Phoenix showdown. His reflection included:
“I think just in general, our flat track and short track program has gotten a good bit better. In years past, I think we’ve been good, we’ve been solid and able to compete and run top five and potentially take advantage of other people’s mistakes and win the race when it counted, but we just didn’t have that like cutting edge, dominant speed. This year, I think that weakness has been fulfilled a little bit, and we’ve been able to definitely get our stuff better and me as well.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Preparation Adjustments and Personal Growth
Heim detailed changes in his approach compared to previous years, particularly his focus on self-improvement and increased collaboration with Toyota and TRICON Garage. This has led to a more balanced mindset as he works to maintain a calm focus in the face of mounting expectations. Describing his headspace, Heim said,
“Yeah, I don’t know. I guess I don’t really know what to compare to as far as that. I feel like I’m a pretty laid-back dude, but at the same time, I’m very focused. This year has been probably my best year as far as just overall I guess headspace, for lack of a better word. Just being able to be focused without completely checking out. Just kind of finding a work home kind of balance kind of thing as far as just being able to be busy and be focused and continue to get better, but also just find some time for myself to kind of be in the right head space.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Heim emphasized that finding healthy distractions outside the sport, such as fishing or golf, has been vital for decompression and optimal performance, a perspective supported by the rigorous demands of competitive racing.
Team Dynamics and Leadership Under Scott Zipadelli
A strong sense of team unity at TRICON Garage, steered by crew chief Scott Zipadelli, has been key to Heim’s growth and the squad’s success in 2024. Heim explained their dynamic,
“Yeah, I don’t think we’re similar by any means. Scott’s (Zipadelli, crew chief) a unique dude, but I think he’d have the same answer. He’s a unique guy, but I love him, man. He does such a great job, and he’s such a determined, motivated individual and he’s a really good people person as well. Just does a great job keeping everyone satisfied with where they’re at, keeping everyone motivated. I think our consistency this year, as far as what we brought to the race track really shows that, and also just we’ve had the same roster of people since 2023. It’s pretty evident that everyone wants to work for him and be a part of this race team, and he’s definitely the captain of that.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
This cohesion has paid off in race execution, limiting mistakes and building confidence even under the heightened pressure of the championship hunt.
Mental Resilience and Approach to Championship Weekend
Despite having the best statistical season among the Championship 4, Heim indicated that he does not feel weighed down by the numbers or expectations. He believes that staying even-keeled has helped TRICON’s results during the year, and that approach will continue through to the final race. He said,
“I don’t feel any more pressure than what we had last year. I think, media wise, I feel like we were probably the favorite going to last year, just because we had the most wins, and I think it’s kind of similar this year, but I wouldn’t say there’s more than years past by any means even though statistically have been better than years past and everything. I think it’s just, I don’t know if it’s my third year now and I’m used to it or what, but yeah, I don’t necessarily feel any added pressure.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Heim is conscious of the narrow margins for error in a winner-takes-all race, emphasizing how every detail, from practice results to track conditions, matters in pursuit of the title.
Analysis of Practice, Race Day Conditions, and Track Evolution
The addition of New Hampshire to the schedule has aided in fine-tuning the team’s approach to tracks with similar profiles to Phoenix. Heim observed nuanced differences between the two—namely surface smoothness and setup preferences—but expressed confidence that lessons learned have addressed prior weaknesses. Additionally, the move to an earlier race time this weekend allows the team to draw more accurate conclusions from practice runs, helping prepare for similar conditions once the green flag waves at Phoenix.
Reflecting on this practice-to-race transition, Heim said,
“Yeah, I think for us, looking at practice, it was always, practice was always at that 4:30 mark, and it was always a little bit colder going into the race so I think it kind of left a question mark as far as how practice is going to change to the race as far as the balance and our grip levels and everything. But how the schedule’s laid out this year, it allows us to look at practice and understand, like, this is exactly the conditions we’re going to be racing and are very close to it. Sometimes you feel like, okay, we’re close here, we’re close there, and the race temperatures will kind of fix our problems, but now you’ve got to really rely on the current conditions and kind of where we’re at to get our race truck exactly how we want it.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Evaluating Personal Progress and On-Track Execution
Looking at his own development, Heim credits a shift in perspective and increased maturity over three years in the Championship 4 setting. He acknowledged,
“I’d say it feels similar to last year. Last year, I came in with the most wins on the season, and I feel like we were kind of the favorite to win the whole thing, and I feel like it’s probably similar from a media perspective this year. But, at the end of the day anything could happen, and I feel like anyone could bring your best stuff and win the race. So, my first year, I felt like it was just different because I’d never been a part of it before, and I was I guess, not a rookie technically, but a rookie from a full time perspective so that was just a whole different animal just being in the Championship 4 for the first time, but kind of after that first year, I feel like I’ve sort of settled in and kind of understood the pressure a little better.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
This realism underscores his approach—not resting on prior wins or points standing, but instead focusing on what must occur on race day and the importance of self-improvement in restarts, pit road, and race craft.
Competition and Rival Assessment for the Final
Heim remains attentive to his competition, with Majeski as a known challenge but acknowledging both Kaden Honeycutt and Tyler Ankrum as potential threats based on their team’s strengths and Phoenix history.
“Yeah, I mean, I think Ty (Majeski) next to me here is definitely going to be tough to beat. They’ve always had a really good package here. Definitely more of a question mark as far as the other two. Kaden’s (Honeycutt) got a lot of talent, a lot of raw speed, and the 52 is historically run really well here, so I’m sure he’ll be strong. And, Tyler (Ankrum) always seems to be kind of there when it counts at the end. Different factors kind of going for all of them. They’re all a little bit different in their own ways, but definitely just kind of focus on ourselves and focus on our race.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
This perspective reinforces Heim’s determination to stay focused inward, echoing the theme of self-reliance and preparedness that has characterized his run to the title race.
Support Network: Family, Friends, and Personal Motivation
Maintaining a sense of balance and perspective has been crucial for Heim, who credits a strong support network for helping navigate the ups and downs of the season. “Yeah, I mean, honestly, regardless of good, bad, ugly, I think all my family and friends have been very, very supportive of me. Even when I had the disastrous 2023 race, I think all my friends and family reached out to me and said,
“Hey, you know, we’re here if you need anything.”
And anytime I’ve won this year, it’s kind of the same thing – Congratulations. Let’s go hang out soon” or something like that. I’ve got a lot of good people around me and a lot of supportive friends and family so regardless of good, bad, ugly, I think they’ve all been very supportive of me.” — Corey Heim, Driver
Special mention was made of Heim’s father, whose constant presence and encouragement have been a lasting source of motivation.
“I could probably count on one hand how many races he’s missed in my entire life. He’s always been my number one supporter and certainly wouldn’t be here without any that. So, just really cool to kind of see his investments and hard work in myself, kind of pay off throughout the years. I mean, I’ve been racing for 18 years now, and he’s been to just about every single race. He’s always been my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, so to see him kind of be fulfilled and all that is very rewarding.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Mentoring and Relationships Beyond the Track
Heim’s commitment to helping others shines through his guidance to drivers like Taylor Reimer, sharing his Phoenix experience and notes for the ARCA race:
“Yeah, I’ve had a shared note section with her as far as kind of what to look out for. A lot of it doesn’t apply just because the ARCA race will probably shake out a bit different than the truck race. But every note that I’ve taken as far as my truck stuff here, she’s seen all of it in the shared note sections. Obviously, I got a lot going on and a lot to focus on but definitely feel like I’m doing my best to help her out too.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
He praised Reimer’s potential, noting,
“Yeah, she’s got a lot a lot of natural talent, for sure. She does a really good job. Definitely very green to the sport and how it all works and what to look out for, but you put her in something with the gas and a brake and a steering wheel and she’s going to figure it out. So, it’s pretty impressive.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Continuous Improvement: Race Craft and Analytical Preparation
Heim’s drive for excellence is grounded in constant review and analysis, including film study on competitors like Majeski:
“Yeah, for sure, especially when you look at last year and he (Ty Majeski) just faster, in general, the whole race and had a lot of glaring differences from me to him last year and just what those separations were and what to look out for. It’s definitely a lot harder when if I were to come to a race that I had dominated the year before or done really well at, and it’s hard to improve just because there’s nothing to really look at from a get better perspective. But when you look at last year, he stopped us out pretty good, so it’s pretty easy to kind of figure out what those differences were and what to improve off.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Heim also discussed his approach to the Championship 4, remarking,
“Yeah, I feel like that’s something that I’m pretty calm about as far as this Championship 4. It feels like everyone is on really even terms. I’ve had really no issues with any of these guys I don’t think ever really. I mean, me and Kaden (Honeycutt) got into a little bit of Martinsville, but I think it was just an incidental deal. But that’s the only thing that really comes to mind. So, both of the last two years, I felt like there’s always possibilities of kind of chaos ensuing and one of the two races it did, you know? So no, I definitely feel pretty secure with my competitors.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Balancing Confidence and Adaptation in a High-Stakes Finale
Despite a dominant campaign, Heim recognizes that overconfidence must be checked by focused preparation and adaptability to evolving circumstances. He stays level-headed:
“Yeah, I mean, I think we’ve done a good job, just as a race team being in the right headspace and understanding where we’re at. I don’t think we’ve had a lot of highs and lows this year. We’ve been very even keeled and just carried momentum through the entire season. For us, I feel like just doing what we’ve been doing and had success with this year is going to be really important as far as just preparing the same way with maybe a slightly bigger push, considering it’s a championship race and kind of understanding the circumstances a little bit. But as far as our mental approach to it, I think we’ve had success doing what we’ve been doing, so we’re just going to continue to do that.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
The emphasis on process and learning is also seen in his reaction to adversity:
“Yeah, I think earlier in the year, we were in that mindset of like, dang, we’ve had a bunch get away from us in a row now, and it’s getting frustrating. But honestly, I feel like our luck kind of turned around going into the Playoffs and we’ve had opportunities and maybe some late cautions where we were behind and allowed us to get chances at it. It’s kind of almost equaled out a little bit. I feel like there’s races that we have been the best truck and maybe the Roval where something happens to put us behind, but we’ve had opportunities late in the race to redeem ourselves. The issue earlier in the year was like, we had all these crazy things happen and they were like, middle to end of stage three and there was no time to make it up. Now, all the crazy things seem happen at the beginning of the race, we actually have time to recover from it. So, I don’t think anyone’s going into this race or looking at the season now at the point where, oh we could’ve have had this many more wins. I think we’ve had a really successful year and everyone’s really grateful for that.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Looking Ahead: The Final Challenge and What’s at Stake
As the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race approaches, Heim’s focus remains fixed on the task at hand—executing with precision in the high-pressure, unpredictable environment of Phoenix. He maintains a “forward looking” approach, unwilling to dwell on the season’s narrative before the final results are decided:
“I haven’t really accepted anything yet. I think that’s going to be post race for me. I’m always kind of an eyes forward type of person. I don’t look back at this year and be like okay, cool, our season’s complete whether we win or lose at the championship race. I’m a very eyes forward person, kind of focusing on the championship and definitely I’ve prepared to win this race. That’s kind of what we’ve worked for all year is to compete for a championship, whether we have zero wins or 11 wins. I definitely want to kind of keep my eyes that way and focus on tomorrow.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
This mindset is echoed throughout the team and among supporters, reinforcing a culture of resilience, preparation, and adaptability—traits essential in the pursuit of a NASCAR Truck Series title.
With a season marked by improvement, stable leadership from Scott Zipadelli, and unwavering backing from family and friends, Corey Heim stands poised to give his all in the biggest race of his career. Whether it results in a championship triumph or yet another lesson for the future, the determination to excel and the lessons learned from both victory and defeat will continue to shape Heim, TRICON Garage, and the ongoing story of the Corey Heim NASCAR Truck Championship quest.
