Login
Corey Heim Reveals 23XI’s ’Take Bigger Risks’ Advice Ahead of Full Time NASCAR Cup Drive in 2027
Corey Heim is set to make his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2027, as he will replace Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota. The defending Truck Series champion detailed the 23XI boss’ advice for him to take bigger risks as he prepares for 2027.
Heim made his Cup Series debut in 2024 for Legacy Motor Club, driving the No. 43 Toyota in a couple of races. Heim has run 12 Cup races in the last three years, five of which were this year.
At Kansas earlier this year, Heim finished P15, but the No. 67 Toyota had the pace to finish inside the top 10. In a recent interview with ESPN, the 23-year-old recalled his conversation with 23XI Senior Director of Competition Dave Rogers after the Kansas race.
Rogers’ advice to Corey Heim was to take bigger risks, even if it came at the cost of hitting the wall and wrecking, as 23XI wanted him to be prepared ahead of the full-time drive in 2027.
“He was like, ‘Hey, man, I don’t want you to wreck our cars or anything, but it’s OK if you take these bigger risks and learn. No one is going to think poorly of you if you hit a wall or do this or that to hinder the result because you took those risks. We want you to be ready for 2027 and learn from mistakes,’” said Heim.
“I feel like I’ve been thinking about that a lot, in regard to my decision-making and my mindset throughout a race. It’s not as much about results as it is learning and being prepared to be full-time next year,” he added.
Corey Heim is set for 12 Cup Series starts this year and has already raced in five, leaving seven more races this season before he takes over the No. 35 Toyota from Riley Herbst.
“I’m in every single meeting”: Corey Heim details preparation for 2027 full-time drive
After a record 2025 Truck Series season in which Corey Heim won the title with 12 wins to his name, he’s no longer driving full-time in the Truck Series this year. The 12 Cup Series races and a handful of Truck races are what Heim is racing this year.
Highlighting the preparation going on for 2027 off the race track, Heim said:
“I’m pretty much as involved as a full-time driver [would be]. I’m basically in every single meeting. I don’t sit in on the debriefs on the races that I don’t run, but the prep side of things, our meetings to look over previous races, I’ll be in those meetings.
“I work out there every day, and I do the simulator two or three times a week. I pretty much prepare as if I’m a full-time driver in case something happens to one of their guys and I have to sub in at the last second. I think that’s the vision they had for me from the beginning as well.”
Heim has made five Truck Series starts this season and has won three of those races, with the most recent win coming at Michigan.
