Corey Heim Bio
Corey David Heim (born July 5, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Tricon Garage, where he drives the No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Heim is also a development driver for 23XI Racing, making select starts in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series while piloting Toyota entries across all three national tours.
In 2025, Heim captured the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, cementing his status as one of the top young talents in American motorsports. His rise from short tracks in Georgia to national touring series has been marked by record-setting performances and steady progression through the NASCAR ladder.
Early Life and Background
Corey David Heim was born on July 5, 2002, in Marietta, Georgia. He is the son of Ray Heim and Lisa Heim. His father, Ray, was a former late model racer who later worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Pen-Tech Associates, Inc. in Kennesaw, Georgia, giving the family a deep connection to both motorsports and engineering.
Growing up in the Atlanta area, Heim was introduced to racing at a young age through karting and grassroots events. He attended Kennesaw Mountain High School, balancing his education with an increasingly demanding racing schedule. The Georgia short-track scene provided a strong foundation, and Heim quickly earned a reputation as a polished driver well beyond his years.
Path to NASCAR
Heim began his climb through the stock car ranks by competing in Legends cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he won the 2016 Young Lions division and the 2017 Thursday Thunder Pro division championship. He later transitioned to super late models, racing in events sanctioned by the CARS Tour, Southern Super Series, Pro All-Stars Series (PASS), and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
In late 2018, Heim crossed the finish line first in the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, but lost the result on a rules technicality. A short time later, he earned his first super late model victory at South Boston Speedway. On January 25, 2020, he won the SpeedFest 200 late model race in Georgia, and that same year he was named the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Rookie of the Year. His performances in late models drew the attention of ARCA Menards Series teams and set the stage for his move into NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Corey Heim Career
Early Career (2019-2021)
Heim began racing in the ARCA Menards Series in 2019 with Chad Bryant Racing, running a partial schedule in the No. 22 car. He scored a top-five finish in his series debut at Five Flags Speedway and ended the year tenth in the standings despite not running a full season. In 2020, he won his first ARCA race at Kansas Speedway and added the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Rookie of the Year award.
In 2021, Heim was promoted to a full-time ARCA Menards Series ride with Venturini Motorsports in the No. 20, replacing Chandler Smith. Paired with crew chief Shannon Rursch, he opened the year with a win at Daytona and added victories at Talladega, Pocono, Elko, Watkins Glen, and Illinois. He waged a season-long battle with Ty Gibbs, finishing second in the final standings by 37 points and earning respect as one of the ARCA series’ most promising talents.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2021-2023)
Heim made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on May 7, 2021, at Darlington Raceway, driving the No. 51 for Kyle Busch Motorsports. On March 19, 2022, he captured his first Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a last-lap pass of teammate Chandler Smith, followed by a second win at Gateway. Although he ran only a partial schedule, his efforts were strong enough to earn the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year award.
On October 27, 2022, David Gilliland Racing announced it would transition to Toyota Racing Development and rebrand as Tricon Garage, with Heim named as one of the team’s full-time drivers. In 2023, he won at Martinsville and Mid-Ohio, claimed the regular-season championship, and added a playoff win at Bristol to reach the Championship 4. He finished the year fourth in points after NASCAR penalized him 25 driver points for an incident with Carson Hocevar at Phoenix.
Cup Series and Xfinity Development (2023-Present)
Heim made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on April 29, 2023, at Dover with Sam Hunt Racing, and has since run part-time Xfinity schedules with the team. On January 25, 2024, it was announced he would serve as a reserve and simulator driver for Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing, leading to his Cup Series debut later that year at Dover in the No. 43.
In February 2025, Heim signed a multi-year development deal with 23XI Racing that included a partial Cup schedule in the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE. He posted a sixth-place finish at Bristol for his first Cup top-ten and later won the inaugural Anduril 250 at San Diego in 2026, holding off teammate Tyler Reddick. On May 30, 2026, it was announced he would move to a full-time Cup ride in the No. 35 for 23XI Racing.
Tricon Garage Era (2023-Present)
Heim’s tenure with Tricon Garage has produced some of the most dominant Truck Series performances in recent memory. In 2024, he scored wins at Circuit of the Americas, Kansas, North Wilkesboro, Gateway, and Pocono, finishing second in the final standings. His 2025 campaign was historic, as he tied and then broke Greg Biffle’s long-standing single-season Truck Series wins record on his way to the series championship.
Continuing with Tricon in 2026 on a multi-race deal across the Nos. 1 and 5 trucks, Heim added wins at Darlington, Rockingham, and Michigan. At Rockingham, when Chandler Smith was disqualified post-race, Heim tied the points lead with Kaden Honeycutt despite running a part-time schedule and missing two races, a remarkable achievement in modern NASCAR.
Driving Style and Strengths
Heim is widely regarded as a smooth, calculating driver with a particular fondness for road courses and intermediate tracks. His ability to manage tire wear, execute in traffic, and capitalize on late-race strategy has been a hallmark of his Truck Series success. He pairs that race craft with a calm, analytical approach developed through years of late model racing and engineering-minded preparation.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his last-lap Truck Series win at Atlanta in 2022, his record-breaking 2025 Truck Series season, and his upset Cup Series victory in the inaugural Anduril 250 at San Diego in 2026. He also became the youngest driver in Truck Series history to reach 10 career wins at 22 years and 7 days old.
Corey Heim Career Wins
Corey Heim has accumulated victories across multiple NASCAR and ARCA series, highlighted by his 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. His wins span super late models, the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the NASCAR Cup Series, reflecting a versatile career built on consistent performance.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Heim has 26 career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins, including his first victory at Atlanta in 2022 and most recently at Michigan in 2026. His 2025 season alone featured a record-setting run that included 12 wins, surpassing Greg Biffle’s previous Truck Series mark of nine wins set in 1999, and culminated in the series championship at Phoenix.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Heim has nine ARCA Menards Series victories, including wins at Daytona, Talladega, Pocono, Elko, Watkins Glen, Illinois, and twice at Kansas. He also captured the 2020 SpeedFest 200 and the 2022 Thunder Road 200 in late model competition, reinforcing his credentials as one of the most accomplished short-track racers of his generation.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 26 | 72 | 14 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 9 | 42 | 7 |
| NASCAR Cup Series | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Corey Heim Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Corey Heim is the son of Ray Heim and Lisa Heim. His father, Ray, raced late models and later built a career in engineering as the Chief Technology Officer at Pen-Tech Associates, Inc. in Kennesaw, Georgia. That blend of hands-on racing experience and technical expertise shaped Corey’s early development as a driver.
Personal Life
Heim graduated from Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia, where he balanced high school classes with an accelerating racing schedule. He continues to make his home in the greater Atlanta area, staying connected to the regional short-track scene that launched his career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season was a career-defining campaign for Corey Heim. After opening the year with a win at Daytona, he added victories at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and Richmond during the regular season. He also captured the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Regular Season Championship and set multiple single-season records along the way, including most wins (12), most consecutive top-fives (9), most laps led (1,627), and most stage wins (23) in a single season.
During the playoffs, Heim continued his dominance with wins at Darlington, New Hampshire, the Charlotte Roval, and Martinsville to clinch a Championship 4 berth. He closed the year by winning at Phoenix to claim the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, his first national series title. In addition to his Truck Series duties, Heim ran a partial Cup schedule with 23XI Racing and made select Xfinity starts with Sam Hunt Racing, further sharpening his skills at the sport’s highest levels.
Heading into 2026, Heim carried significant momentum from his championship run and continued his multi-race Truck schedule with Tricon Garage. His growing partnership with 23XI Racing, combined with a fresh multi-year development deal, positioned him as one of the most closely watched young drivers in the NASCAR garage and a leading candidate for a full-time Cup Series ride in the near future.
