Matt Johnson
23XI Racing development driver Corey Heim is the top prospect in NASCAR and widely viewed as one of the best young talents in the sport. While he doesn’t have a full-time ride this season, that could change soon.
The Athletic‘s Jordan Bianchi and Fox Sports‘ Bob Pockrass wrote this week that there’s a real chance Heim gets a full-time ride next season as the third driver for 23XI’s Cup Series team.
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Heim, age 23, has split time this season with races at all three levels. While he’s not eligible for The Chase in the Truck Series, he has the eighth-most points (204) in trucks this season despite making half the starts of his peers.
He’s also been impressive thus far running in the Cup Series. Most recently, Heim led 69 laps at Texas Motor Speedway and he placed 15th just a few weeks prior at Kansas. There’s universal agreement that he’s ready for a full-time ride in Cup and the plan seems to be for it to happen in 2027.
What Adding Corey Heim Means for Riley Herbst
Many in the industry agree that Heim is a superior driver to Riley Herbst, who had a dreadful rookie season in the No. 35 car for 23XI Racing. However, Herbst has brought significant funding resources to 23XI.
Importantly for the 27-year-old, he’s improving his chances of staying in the Cup Series beyond 2026. Herbst’s average starting position (20.25) and average finishing position (22.67) have improved considerably compared to last season (26.97 and 26.39), putting him 29th in points through 12 races.
Not only is Herbst delivering better on-track results, but he’s also proven to be a great teammate this season to both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. Furthermore, he’s received a lot of praise from 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin for his improvements.
While Heim seems destined to take over the No. 35 car next season, Herbst will likely have a ride in 2027. With Legacy Motor Club adding a third charter and in need of funding, Herbst’s improvements and his strong ties to Monster Energy provide the results and financial resources to make him a likely target for LMC.
