Corey Heim Bio
Corey David Heim (born July 5, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is best known as a development driver for 23XI Racing and as the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. Heim last competed full-time in the Truck Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage, while also running part-time schedules in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
Early Life and Background
Corey David Heim was born on July 5, 2002, in Marietta, Georgia. He is the son of Lisa and Ray Heim. Ray Heim was a former late model racer and spent time as the Chief Technology Officer at Pen-Tech Associates, Inc. in Kennesaw, Georgia. Growing up in a racing household gave Corey early exposure to competition, and the family lived in an area rich with short tracks and late model opportunities.
Heim attended Kennesaw Mountain High School, where he balanced his studies with a rapidly growing racing career. His father’s background in late model racing helped shape Corey’s foundation, and he began competing at a young age. The combination of family support and the strong Georgia short track scene helped him develop the skills that would later define his professional path.
Path to NASCAR
Heim’s climb through the stock car ladder started in Legends cars. He won the 2016 Young Lions division and the 2017 Thursday Thunder Pro division championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Those early victories on one of the Southeast’s most famous short tracks signaled his potential, and he soon transitioned to super late models, racing in events sanctioned by the CARS Tour, the Southern Super Series, the Pro All-Stars Series (PASS), and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Late in 2018, Heim crossed the finish line first in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 but lost the race on a rules procedure. A short time later, he picked up his first super late model win at South Boston Speedway. Even after moving up to national touring series, he continued to compete at major late model events, building a strong reputation that earned him a 2019 opportunity in the ARCA Menards Series with Chad Bryant Racing. That debut season laid the groundwork for his move to the NASCAR national series ladder.
Corey Heim Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Heim began racing in the ARCA Menards Series in 2019, joining Chad Bryant Racing for thirteen of twenty events in the No. 22 car. He scored a top-five finish in his series debut at Five Flags Speedway in March and never failed to finish a race that year. Even without a win, he ended the season tenth in the standings, a strong result for a part-time rookie.
In 2020, Heim expanded his late model program with Lee Pulliam Performance on the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, while also running a seven-race ARCA slate with Venturini Motorsports. He captured the SpeedFest 200 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Georgia, a major late model event, and picked up the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Rookie of the Year award. He followed that with his first ARCA victory at Kansas Speedway in October, leading the most laps on his way to the win.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Heim was promoted to a full-time ride with Venturini Motorsports in 2021, driving the No. 20 in the main ARCA Menards Series. 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 carried a season-long rivalry with Ty Gibbs and finished second in the final standings, just 37 points behind the champion.
In 2022, Heim ran a seven-race ARCA schedule with Venturini and added wins at Daytona and Kansas. Across his ARCA career, he became one of the series’ most consistent winners, showcasing the race craft that would soon translate to NASCAR’s national series.
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. In 2022, he rejoined KBM for a 15-race schedule and broke through with a last-lap pass of teammate Chandler Smith to win at Atlanta, his home track. He added a second win at Gateway later that year and earned the 2022 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year award, despite running a part-time slate.
In 2023, David Gilliland Racing rebranded as Tricon Garage and moved to Toyota Racing Development, naming Heim one of its full-time drivers. He won at Martinsville and Mid-Ohio, claimed the regular-season championship at Richmond, and added a playoff win at Bristol. A late-race incident at Phoenix saw him finish eighteenth, and a post-race penalty dropped him to fourth in the final standings, denying him a shot at the title.
Tricon Garage Era (2024–2025)
Heim opened 2024 with a runner-up finish at Daytona and rolled into the playoffs with wins at Circuit of the Americas, Kansas, North Wilkesboro, Gateway, and Pocono. He added another Kansas win in the postseason and finished second in the final Truck Series standings, his best result to that point.
The 2025 season became a record-breaking campaign. After being awarded the Daytona season-opener win when the initial winner failed post-race inspection, Heim added regular-season victories at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and Richmond. In the playoffs, he won at Darlington, New Hampshire, and the Charlotte Roval, the last of which gave him a single-season record of ten wins, breaking Greg Biffle’s 1999 mark of nine. A win at Martinsville locked him into the Championship 4, and he closed the year with a win at Phoenix to claim the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. On February 23, 2025, it was also announced that he had signed a multi-year deal with 23XI Racing to serve as the team’s development driver, including a part-time Cup schedule in the No. 67 Toyota.
Driving Style and Strengths
Heim is known for his smooth, calculated race craft and his strength on a wide variety of tracks. He has shown the ability to win on short tracks, intermediates, road courses, and superspeedways, a versatility that has become a hallmark of his career. His consistency, patience on long runs, and willingness to make bold late-race moves, such as his last-lap pass at Atlanta, have made him one of the most well-rounded young drivers in stock car racing.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his Atlanta last-lap victory in 2022, his 2025 record-breaking Charlotte Roval win, and his Phoenix championship-clinching performance. He has also reached the Championship 4 twice and finished as Truck Series runner-up in 2024, cementing his status as one of the top drivers in the series.
Corey Heim Career Wins
Heim’s verified wins span multiple stock car series, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and major late model events. His 2025 Truck Series championship came with a record-setting 11 victories, the most in a single season in series history.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Heim has multiple Craftsman Truck Series wins, including his 2022 Atlanta breakthrough, his 2023 Martinsville and Mid-Ohio victories, his 2024 wins at COTA, Kansas, North Wilkesboro, Gateway, and Pocono, and his record-breaking 2025 campaign of 11 wins. He won the 2022 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and the 2025 Truck Series championship.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Heim has ARCA Menards Series wins at Daytona, Talladega, Pocono, Elko, Watkins Glen, Illinois, and Kansas. He has also captured high-profile late model events, including the 2020 SpeedFest 200 and the 2022 Thunder Road 200, along with the 2018 CARS Super Late Model Tour Rookie of the Year and the 2018 Southern Super Series Rookie of the Year honors.
Corey Heim Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Heim is the son of Lisa and Ray Heim. Ray Heim was a former late model racer and worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Pen-Tech Associates, Inc. in Kennesaw, Georgia. His father’s racing background gave Corey an early entry into the sport.
Personal Life
Heim graduated from Kennesaw Mountain High School while building his racing career. He continues to be based in the Georgia area and balances his time between his Truck Series duties with Tricon Garage and his development role with 23XI Racing.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season became a defining year for Heim. He opened with a win at Daytona after post-race inspection changed the finishing order and then piled up regular-season victories at Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and Richmond, a run that established him as the championship favorite entering the playoffs.
In the postseason, Heim added wins at Darlington, New Hampshire, and the Charlotte Roval, with the Charlotte Roval win setting a new single-season record of ten victories. He locked into the Championship 4 with a win at Martinsville and closed the year by winning at Phoenix to claim the 2025 Truck Series championship. Alongside his Truck Series duties, he also signed a multi-year deal with 23XI Racing as a development driver, running a part-time Cup schedule in the No. 67 Toyota and continuing part-time in the Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing.
