Did Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan make a mistake by putting Riley Herbst over Corey Heim in the No. 35 Toyota Camry? Well, a few fans were asking this question when the Truck Series driver weaved his way through and raced himself to bag a top 15 finish at Kansas. In fact, he was the best 23XI Racing driver on the day, and his direct rival Herbst could only manage a 27th-place finish. It was a clear sign that Heim is indeed Cup-ready, but for the time being, he’s got nowhere to go.

Yeah, Heim has signed a multi-year deal with 23XI Racing as their development driver. But, for some who can outpace your best drivers from the line-up, a partial schedule isn’t going to justify the driver’s talent. And this in turn could lead to major problems for TRD and 23XI, as a driver of Heim’s caliber could be on the radar of the rival teams and manufacturers. This is what Kevin Harvick also believes to be true, as he spoke highly about the 22-year-old driver after the Kansas race.

Corey Heim is the hottest prospect from NASCAR’s talent pool

“I have no idea why he is still in the Truck Series. I know he has nowhere to go, but somebody better find somewhere for him to go, and they better find him somewhere to go in a much bigger capacity than 8-10-12 races that might be possible on that Cup car next year. Because if not, there’s going to be a conversation of a different manufacturer or a different team or somebody else wanting to know, “hey, what do we got to do to get Corey Heim in our car?” He is the total package, and we don’t see these kids come in and do that good in Cup car very often,” said Kevin Harvick on the Happy Hour podcast. And it’s not just words, but stats do back Heim’s case.

He has bagged 14 wins in the Trucks Series, out of which 6 came last year when he fell just short of winning his first championship. This year, he has already snagged three wins and three top fives, having a second bite at the title. The 13th-place finish at Kansas might be his best Cup Series result, but it wasn’t his first. He served as the backup driver for Legacy Motor Club last year when Erick Jones was out due to a back injury. In the three starts he made, he was running in mid pack, without creating drama or chaos, he was simply running his own lane. So the threat of poaching is indeed real.

“Tricon Garage Trucks aren’t as strong as some of their competitors, so like he is doing a lot more. Like the other ones are a little bit behind, but then he gets into the Cup race, and you’re like ok, he’s running the 25th, that’s really, really respectable when you are not in the Series that often. And then, by the end of the race, he’s in the Top 15. If you do not lock him into a Cup car in the Toyota Camp, somebody is going to go pay to go get him,” Mamba Smith added.

Identifying talented drivers isn’t new to Hamlin or 23XI team. They knew that Tyler Reddick was the perfect driver to pilot their second entry, and he made RCR Chevy look like a real deal in 2022. Reddick won three Cup races driving the No. 8 Chevy in 2022, and the same car hasn’t seen victory lane in over a year under Kyle Busch’s leadership. Hamlin and Co. were smart enough to bring Reddick from the Chevy camp to Toyota, and now they are in a similar situation with Heim. The only difference here is that retaining him will be a tough task if a full-time Cup opportunity comes calling next year.

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Heim is content with the current opportunities

The good news for Toyota and 23XI Racing camp is that Corey Heim seems to be pacing himself before he gets a full-time opportunity in the Cup Series. Although he had three full-time Truck Series seasons under his belt, there’s still a lot to learn. In comparison, Riley Herbst did grind it out in the Xfinity Series and is an experienced driver who’s done well in his rookie season so far. A full-time opportunity in 2025 from a Chevy or a Ford team might be tempting for Heim, as Harvick suggested. But as of now, he feels right at home with 23XI Racing and Tricon Garage.

“I don’t really let that get to me too much. I just focus on the current opportunities that I have at hand. I definitely feel like I’m ready to make Cup starts – 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, but it is going out and proving that. I’m really happy with the opportunities that Toyota and 23XI have given me the past couple of years. I’m very happy with my 11 crew on the Truck side, and the 67 guys on the Cup side. I think I have a lot of things going for me in the right direction, and I’m very happy with my opportunities.” Heim said during the media availability.

It will be interesting to see if Heim’s stance changes in case a team like Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske comes calling. But that in turn would also lead to a major silly season and big changes within the entire Cup garage.