NASCAR has seen Corey Heim emerge as one of its brightest talents in recent years. As his rise continues, the 23XI Racing driver looked back on his biggest career decision of choosing Michael Jordan- and Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing over Jimmie Johnson Legacy Motor Club. 

During the 2024 season, when Heim was a full-time Truck Series driver, he signed up as a reserve driver for both NASCAR Cup Series teams. However, since his debut at Dover when he took over Eric Jones' car due to Jones' injuries, Heim became one of the most sought-after young drivers and was approached by multiple teams before ultimately choosing 23XI

During his recent appearance on the "Door, Bumper, Clear" podcast, Freddie Kraft questioned Corey Heim about how he went about making his decision to choose 23XI. 

"I had a really good feeling about 23XI, and it was always just a gut feeling," Heim explained on the podcast. "I walked into the building, and the energy was good, and I really enjoyed the people there. A lot of it is their analytics side too. I love working with those guys. I'm an analytical race car driver. I like to look into the stats and the probabilities and stuff like that."

The No. 67 driver further recalled his first meeting with 23XI Racing’s performance director, Dave Rogers, and how the organization's vision for the future gave him the confidence he needed for his move. 

"I'd met with Dave Rogers for the first time about being a backup driver at their old place and kind of going through that big transformation. I really just liked everyone there. They just treated me like family from the get-go, and I just had a really good feeling about their future with MJ, of course, and Denny, and so far it's worked out pretty well." 

Indeed, it has worked out well for 23XI Racing and Corey Heim, as before becoming a full-time driver next year, he already has two wins under his belt. During his recent win at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, Heim became the youngest winner of the prestigious race since Jeff Gordon in 1994. 

It will be interesting to see what the 2027 season brings for Corey Heim and 23XI Racing. 

Denny Hamlin hails Corey Heim as NASCAR’s 'generational talent'

The defending Truck Series champion has been building his career race by race. He has had 26 wins in less than 100 starts in the Truck Series.  

After his signing, while addressing the media at Nashville Superspeedway, the 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin spoke about Heim, saying,

"Generational drivers only come by every now and then. I firmly believe we have one here. Really excited about what he's going to bring our team and the performance that he's going to bring. Looking forward to working with him in the future." (via Cup Scene on YouTube uploaded on 31 May 2026)

Heim will be replacing Reily Herbst for the 2027 season. After nearly 22 out of the 26 races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Corey Heim has two wins and seven top fives to his credit. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco