Corey Heim‘s trajectory in the sport has been one-of-a-kind. He dominated and became the 2025 Truck champ, but struggled to find a ride. And despite Heim’s tensions with the Gibbs camp, Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing has quietly offered him the platform he truly deserved.

Corey Heim to make his Daytona debut with 23XI

The number 12 seems special for Heim. After winning 12 races last season to clinch the Truck Series championship, he is returning to the Cup Series to run just as many races, which includes two runs at Daytona. 23XI has released the calendar for Heim’s races, where he will be seen driving at Charlotte, San Diego, Indianapolis, Homestead, and other tracks in those 12 races.

While he will have to qualify, being a part-time driver, his skills behind the wheel are undeniable. Moreover, his last year’s win in the Truck Series could see him go faster than the remaining 23XI drivers on the field.

It’s not just lately, but Corey Heim has been phenomenal since his debut. Although his schedule was quite slimmer last year with just five races (he ran four of them), Heim had managed to pull off a P6 finish at Bristol in the second-half. With more experience under his belt this time, he seems prepared to take on the 12-race challenge.

“Every driver wants to race as much as possible, but I’m fully committed to the approach that I am taking with the team. I look forward to more Cup races this year and the opportunity to grow and expand my race-craft on and off the track,” Heim mentioned in a team statement.

The most interesting aspect of his career path right now is apparent: despite his performance, he does not have a full-time seat for this season. While his connection with Toyota might earn him a full-time seat with a team in the Cup Series, it has to be 23XI Racing, and the only driver he could replace is Riley Herbst.

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Seemingly, this could be the chance for Heim. Outperforming his teammate in every race to earn his spot on the field next year, as Herbst’s contract is set to expire. Hence, these 12 races might be more important to Heim than even his championship race last year. Nevertheless, he continues to earn support from his fans.

Fans are excited to see Heim back in action

“Bro’s going to outperform Riley Herbst in points running a third of the schedule.” This seems to be a very common feeling with the fans. Considering the performance that Herbst has shown with 23XI so far, there is a possibility that Corey Heim could outperform him easily, which, on the other hand, could probably earn him a full-time seat. 

But there is more that has kept the fans excited, with some claiming that Heim might not be too far from winning his first Cup race this year with the runs he has:

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“I am willing to bet my house that he will win one of these 12 races.”

And at the same time, many are just glad that he got the chance to run these races, like a user wrote: “It’s such a disservice he is not full-time. Pretty healthy schedule at least.”

Many claim that Corey Heim did not get a full-time seat despite his performance because of the early tangles he had with Joe Gibbs’ grandson, Ty Gibbs, because of the influence he has on Toyota. While this is only a popular theory amongst fans, some want Heim to win a title before Gibbs does.

“I want Heim to get his first Cup win before Ty Gibbs does. (For chaotic reasons, of course.)” wrote another fan.

While nothing seems to be certain as of now, fans are just happy that Heim will not be missing out on the Cup schedule this season. “More like Part-Heim, amirite?”

It is an interesting case with Corey Heim. However, performance speaks over influence. All he needs is a good chance with a competitive car and a smart team, and Heim might as well be a race winner this year. Then, he might as well find himself piloting the #35 full-time next year.