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23XI Racing announced Sunday that Craftsman Truck Series regular Corey Heim will drive for the organization in a part-time NASCAR Cup Series schedule this season.
The announcement came in the hours before Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 1.54-mile track that’s roughly an hour’s drive from Heim’s hometown of Atlanta suburb Marietta.
Heim is set to drive the No. 67 Toyota for the organization co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin. Fellow veteran Robert “Bootie” Barker will serve as the crew chief for the part-time effort. Barker was crew chief for 23XI driver Bubba Wallace on the No. 23 team for the last three seasons before taking a new role in the organization’s competition department.
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The rising star will also compete in multiple Xfinity Series races with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in a Toyota GR Supra supported by 23XI. Last season, Heim competed in 13 races with SHR and has 17 total starts in the Xfinity Series, earning three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Heim‘s first race with SHR will be at Circuit of The Americas, where he will compete in his first road-course event in the Xfinity Series.
“It‘s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I‘m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year,” Heim said in a team release. “I‘m blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes. The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and I‘m excited to learn from the organization. I‘m also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.”
Heim has impressed in his short Craftsman Truck Series career, winning 12 times in 66 starts and reaching the Championship 4 round of the playoffs the last two seasons. The 22-year-old driver’s most recent victory with his Tricon Garage team came in the season-opening event nine days ago at Daytona International Speedway.
Heim made the first three Cup Series starts of his career last season — two as a substitute for Toyota affiliate Legacy Motor Club after Erik Jones suffered a broken vertebra in a crash, and another for 23XI’s No. 50 team later in the 2024 campaign.
“Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025,” said Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. “Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.”
23XI Racing is in its first Cup Series season as a newly expanded three-car team. The organization added the No. 35 Toyota for rookie Riley Herbst in the offseason, teaming him with incumbents Bubba Wallace (No. 23) and Tyler Reddick (No. 45) for the 2025 campaign.
This story will be updated.
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