Corey Heim has come a long way since November 2023. During the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finale at that time, Heim had a solid chance to win the title. Having won 3 trophies, 12 top fives, and 19 top tens, Heim was focused. However, a jaw-dropping conflict with Carson Hocevar robbed him of that opportunity. Two years later, Heim can look back at that embarrassing moment with a laugh while dissecting the embarrassing moments of others, like Connor Zilisch.

The 2025 NASCAR season has witnessed Connor Zilisch as a young prodigy. The 19-year-old has wreaked havoc among his rivals in the Xfinity Series, picking up 10 trophies so far. Even amidst the brilliance, there was a disastrous moment that elicited giggles from Corey Heim.

Corey Heim pinpoints his Xfinity counterpart

Well, technically, Corey Heim should be giggling at his Truck Series rival. The Tricon Garage driver has been formidable in 2025, picking up 10 trophies and approaching the Championship 4 with the best chance ever. Yet Layne Riggs, who has won three trophies, has constantly hounded Heim for the top spot. From sending Heim’s No. 11 spinning at North Wilkesboro to outsmarting the prodigy at Indianapolis and Bristol, Riggs has been a fiery rival. Yet Heim did not pick him for his ‘most embarrassing’ moment.

Instead, Corey Heim picked Connor Zilisch, his legendary counterpart in the Xfinity Series. Earlier this season at Watkins Glen, Zilisch was celebrating his season’s 6th victory when disaster struck. He slipped and fell from his car at Victory Lane, breaking his collarbone. Subsequently, Zilisch had to undergo surgery and have Parker Kligerman share his ride in Daytona. So, Heim said, “Connor’s was definitely a little harder to mask. So I’d say that’s probably my pick for more embarrassing.”

At the same time, Zilisch praised his Truck rival’s handling of a misadventure. In August 2024, Layne Riggs won the Milwaukee Mile race. However, while pumping his fist in celebration, he dislocated his shoulder. In a recent episode of Rubbin’ Is Racing, Corey Heim shared his insights on Riggs’ mishap: “Yeah, Layne was a trooper on that one. Because no one really even knew until he said something. You kind of see him grabbing it, but it’s like ah, no big deal. But then he completely tore some of his shoulder and had to get surgery for it.”

Yet Corey Heim is not the only one to poke fun at Connor Zilisch’s disaster. Let alone the swathe of fans on social media, even Zilisch’s father did not miss the chance. Immediately after the incident, Zilisch received swift medical attention, with people being worried. After it was confirmed that he had a broken collarbone and no head injury, his father, Jim Zilisch, had a lighthearted joke to share. “Silver lining. Pooping himself is no longer his most embarrassing moment,” Jim posted on social media.

While Corey Heim pokes fun at Connor Zilisch, both have more in common on the racetrack. That includes toppling former legends’ records.

Paving new paths of excellence

As we all know, Corey Heim is the belle of the ball in 2025. After winning his season’s 10th trophy at the Charlotte Roval, he broke Greg Biffle’s nine-win record of 1999. The same applies to Connor Zilisch, whose 10 wins so far this Xfinity season can be compared with just a handful of predecessors. In 1983, Sam Ard picked up 10 trophies in 35 Xfinity starts. Then in 2010, Kyle Busch won 13 times in Xfinity while also competing full-time in the Cup Series. Clearly, the two drivers are shining jewels. Yet their worth is measured in more than just tying and breaking records.

The playoff era is significantly different from the past. It started in the 2000s, when NASCAR took away a lot of the teams’ ability to choose things. These included gears and suspensions, and drivers could not change engines after qualifying. Presently, there is little room for individual innovation, further raising the parity among drivers. The cars are more equal, and passing is ever more difficult thanks to an evolving aerodynamic design. Therefore, one driver winning an inordinate number of races is less likely. And that is why Corey Heim and Connor Zilisch’s dominant seasons are more remarkable than you already know.

With both high-flyers approaching their season finales, the excitement can hardly be restrained. Let’s wait and see if Connor Zilisch and Corey Heim can finish the year with a bang.