It’s almost tradition at this point: rise through the Toyota development ladder, impress in Trucks, and land a top-tier Cup Series seat. Joe Gibbs Racing has seen this play out beautifully over the years. Just look at Christopher Bell. He went from Truck Series standout at Kyle Busch Motorsports to Xfinity phenom at JGR to becoming a weekly Cup contender. Even Erik Jones, before moving on, followed a similar path. The system works… usually. But in 2025, the gears seem to be grinding when it comes to one of Toyota’s most polished prospects.

One of the Craftsman Truck Series’ hottest names and arguably Toyota’s next big thing, is dominating weekly. But his Cup Series future? It remains in limbo. And for a growing section of NASCAR fans, the question isn’t whether he’s ready. It’s: Why isn’t Joe Gibbs ready to move him up?

Still no Cup call from Joe Gibbs Racing for Corey Heim

Corey Heim is doing everything right. The 22-year-old has become a powerhouse in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with consistency that rivals Cup-level drivers. In 2025 alone, Heim has clinched five wins, scored nine top-fives, and leads the standings with 690 points. He’s the only driver to have led laps in every race this season. On road courses, short tracks, or intermediates, Heim delivers. And yet, for all this dominance, the Cup Series call-up still hasn’t come.

Corey Heim is a standout graduate of Toyota Racing Development, which has long been NASCAR’s gold standard for grooming talent. TRD drivers are given tools, resources, and rides across the Truck and Xfinity ranks to hone their craft before stepping into the Cup spotlight. Just ask William Byron, who began his career in the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports, one of Toyota’s key development arms. After a breakout 2016 season where he won seven races, he swiftly moved up the ranks and won the Xfinity Championship with Chevrolet’s JR Motorsports and now competes as a top-tier Cup driver for Hendrick Motorsports.

Even Bubba Wallace, another TRD alum, climbed the ladder through Toyota’s pipeline before landing his current ride with 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. The blueprint is there, and it’s worked. Even Ty Gibbs, Heim’s peer, made the jump after a part-time Xfinity season and replaced Kyle Busch in the Cup lineup. That’s why fans are puzzled. Heim’s résumé checks every box. He’s young, marketable, and experienced. The talent is obvious. Yet his Cup future seems frozen, and JGR’s silence is only adding fuel to the fire.

Online, fan sentiment is shifting from confusion to frustration, with many demanding answers. If Toyota and Gibbs believe in the pipeline, why is their top Truck driver still waiting? The pressure is building. And if Gibbs doesn’t move soon, fans may force the conversation into overdrive.

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Fans spice up Corey Heim’s Cup call-up drama

Joe Gibbs Racing is under mounting pressure from fans on Reddit as the organization’s reluctance to promote Truck Series sensation Corey Heim to Cup remains a hot topic in NASCAR circles. The reactions run from the gamut from bewilderment to outright anger. “Why ask a question you know the answer to?” one commenter wrote. It reflected the widespread belief that the reason for Heim’s snub is obvious to everyone in the NASCAR community. But what is the reason?

Well, another fan answered it with this apparent reason: “Because the answer is known. Corey Heim & Ty Gibbs despise each other from when they raced against each other in ARCA.” Well, NASCAR fans are well aware of the lingering animosity between Heim and Ty Gibbs, dating back to their fierce ARCA rivalry in 2021. That season saw the two drivers embroiled in multiple on-track incidents and heated post-race exchanges, with Gibbs ultimately winning the championship by a narrow margin.

And then, some fans are more pragmatic, noting that teams have their reasons, which fans might not understand, writing, “Fans need to stop acting like they’re owed an explanation for everything that does or does not happen, jfc,” while others point out, “Ty hates Corey, which is going to make it that much fun to watch him flounder in Cup while Heim Time runs wild.” This again circles back to the rivalry between the two.

The situation has also led to accusations of nepotism, with many fans arguing that Joe Gibbs Racing is prioritizing family ties with Ty Gibbs over talent. “And this is why part of the reason the rumors spread. Because people think they’re hiding something and nobody will ask,” a fan noted, capturing the sense of suspicion and disappointment among Heim’s supporters. Given Ty’s performance, Heim looks to be the better option for JGR. However, Ty still continues to run in the top league, whereas Heim is ignored.

As Heim continues to shine elsewhere in Toyota’s pipeline, the pressure on JGR to address the issue (or at least provide clarity) only grows stronger.