Cup Series Hopeful Corey Heim Makes Feelings Clear on Reported Final Truck Title Run

With the Truck Series playoffs proceeding to Darlington Raceway, much attention is placed on the driver’s seat of the No. 11 for TRICON Garage, and it is regarded by many as a championship contender. Corey Heim currently boasts seven wins, the most of anyone, including Watkins Glen International and Richmond Raceway, 14 Top 10s, and 12 Top 5s, and sits 62 points ahead of a potential chop-off. In four starts at the ‘Lady in Black,’ Heim has a best finish of eighth and an average finish of 20.5. Could this be the year he finally bags that elusive win? 

With just seven races left to decide the champion, Heim is well aware of the challenges ahead. He knows that the path to the championship won’t be easy, as he said in an interview with motorsports writer Bob Pockrass, “I definitely feel like I’m ready to make Cup-Starts.” He added, “I don’t know if I’m ready to be a full-time Cup driver; that is what I’m learning as I go. I certainly feel like I am.” 

With whispers in the garage about his potential move to a higher series and no confirmed schedule for 2026, many believe this could be Heim’s last realistic shot at a Truck Series title. When asked about the pressure, his response was a testament to his focus: “I try not to let my emotions as far as that get in the way of anything if that makes sense and just kind of keep my head screwed on straight and keep moving forward,” he said.

And that mindset shows in his on-track performance. During the recent event at Richmond Raceway, Heim began from pole position, yet it was evident that Ty Majeski would pose his primary competition. Majeski, demonstrating considerable dominance, secured victories in both stages and led an impressive 143 laps—surpassing his cumulative season total. For much of the race, his inaugural win of the year appeared almost inevitable. Unexpectedly, however, a late-race incident involving his teammate disrupted his trajectory, creating a vital opportunity.

Heim, who had already led 75 laps in the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota, capitalized swiftly. With only 20 laps remaining, he seized the lead and maintained it until the conclusion. Heim ultimately finished 0.923 seconds ahead of the reigning Series champion, ensuring his advancement to the final round in pursuit of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. The victory, however, was about more than just a single race; it was a statement to NASCAR’s top tier.

But for now, the playoffs are where his focus lies. When asked if he has enough playoff points to make it to Round 2 of the playoffs, the 23-year-old chuckled and said, “I think, just you know, if one DNF or something goes crazy and breaks are your wreck or something, you’ve got a bad finish with those stage points and here kind of having trouble even in my position. So you know, we’ve done a really good job, knock on wood, of making sure our stuff is reliable and the race has no crazy failures just trying to qualify up front and stay up front to avoid disaster, where it gets kind of crazy at times. So, I’m just kind of staying on track to continue what we have been doing with minimal problems along the way is definitely the goal.”

While that’s that, Heim made sure to acknowledge the efforts of the people behind his success. One such individual was his crew chief, Scott Zipadelli, as he said, “I mean, Scott’s been awesome. He has obviously proven champion back in 2018, something like that. So we have had opportunities to win some sense, always top-tier elite crew chief, and put a lot of drivers in position to have success, including myself. So I feel like he deserves it as much as anybody.” Scott had also guided Brett Moffitt back in 2018.

Now that 2025 is all set for the racer, let’s look into what the next year shall look like for the racer.

What does the year 2026 hold for Corey Heim?

Despite a remarkably successful 2025 campaign in which Corey Heim secured seven victories and led the Truck Series regular-season standings, his anticipated promotion to a full-time Cup Series seat in 2026 will not happen. While 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin has publicly acknowledged Heim as a future full-time Cup driver for the organization, alternative plans have been set for the upcoming season.

Reporting from The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi indicates that Heim’s 2026 schedule will involve participation across all three of NASCAR’s national series. At 23 years old, Heim is slated to compete in select Cup Series events for 23XI Racing, participate in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (previously known as Xfinity) with Sam Hunt Racing, and maintain his involvement in the Truck Series with TRICON.

Though many within the motorsports industry contend that Heim is prepared for a full-time Cup Series opportunity, limitations in available seats and a shortage of sponsorship have delayed this transition. Consequently, his full-time Cup debut is now projected for 2027. There remains a possibility that Heim could contest a full O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule in 2026, contingent upon the acquisition of adequate funding.

Coming back, he has a single focus – winning the Truck Series Championship in 2025. He knows that most of his focus during the playoffs needs to be on soundness and intelligent strategizing at very challenging tracks like the Roval, Talladega, and Martinsville, where one has to make sure that they end up race at the end of the season as well. Do you think he can be the ultimate champion?