In “Star Wars” Yod is reluctant to take Luke Skywalker on as a student lamenting that the young Luke is always looking ahead, he never has his mind on where he is.
Maybe looking ahead is a bad thing in Yoda’s mind but when it comes to NASCAR teams, looking ahead is nearly as important as getting the cars or trucks ready for race day.
With an eye on the future, the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin owned team 23XI Racing has signed their first development driver in Craftsman Truck Series regular Corey Heim.
Plans are already being made for Heim to start some Xfinity and Cup Series races this year. 23XI has partnered with Sam Hunt Racing in order for Heim to run some Xfinity Series races.
Already a winner this season (he was given the win in Daytona after Parker Kligerman was disqualified), Heim noted, “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. 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, who calls his wins “Heim Time”, will be driving the number 67 car for 23XI. Moving out of the garage this year, former Bubba Wallace crew chief Bootie Barker will move back to the “war wagon” to serve as Heim’s crew chief.
With the Truck Series off this weekend, Heim will climb into the Sam Hunt Racing number 24 car on Saturday for the first road course race of the season at COTA – Circuit of the Americas.
SHR owner Sam Hunt spoke of Heim saying, “I couldn’t be more excited to have Corey back with us at SHR this year, working alongside 23XI on his professional development. Corey has become like a little brother to me — we understand each other’s journeys, and he genuinely cares about the growth and success of SHR long-term. We have had some very strong performances together in the past, so we are looking to continue maximizing our resources and flexing strength as we chase that first organizational win and develop Corey as a Sunday driver.”
Heim’s first Cup Series start for 23XI will be on May 11 at Kansas Speedway; the site where Heim was a substitute driver for Legacy Motor Club in the number 43 car; subbing for Erik Jones.
President of 23XI Racing Steve Lauletta spoke on Heim signing with the team saying, “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. 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.”
Heim has made 66 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series with 12 career wins and has been a part of the Championship Four the past two years.