“It’s Losing Its Value!” Corey Heim Breaks Silence on NASCAR Banning Him from 2027 Rookie of The Year Title Chase

The 2026 NASCAR Cup series season so far has witnessed part-time schedule masterclass from 23XI Racing and Corey Heim. He has won two races, at San Diego and Indianapolis, itching himself in the history book. But the unique pathway 23XI charted for the youngster to Cup is set to cost him big time in 2027.

NASCAR recently announced that the racer, who is set to make his full-time debut replacing Riley Herbst, in banned from 2027 Rookie of The Year award contention. The decision was made after the sanctioning body changed the eligibility criteria for the award. Drivers with more than 12 starts in Cup are not eligible under the new regulation and Heim already has 15 starts under his belt.

The Toyota racer was asked about the rule changed ahead of Saturday’s Truck Series race and he was clearly unhappy with decision. He highlighted how the award will lose its value and credibility if it is not awarded to best rookie in the garage. With his recent form and 23XI Racing’s quality, he was expected to win the award by the majority next year.

I mean, yeah, my only problem with it really is, you’re sort of losing value to that award. I think if you want that award to mean something, if you’re giving somebody a trophy and you say, here you go, you’re the best rookie, are you really? Or are you not?

Corey Heim said at Richmond.

Further taking about the point, he reiterated that the award is going to lose value over the unexpected rule change from the sanctioning body. But Corey Heim is not going to lose his sleep over the announcement, considering winning races and being in the Cup championship contention from year one is his primary goals.

That’s my thing: if you’re gonna give someone a trophy and take a picture, make it worth something, and it’s losing its value. But that’s just my opinion, and it’s not the end of the world; we’ll keep moving forward.

Corey Heim added via Frontstretch.

Corey Heim is more focused on his part-time schedule over rookie season

In a recent conversation, Heim talked about his two impressive Cup wins and the 2027 season. He admitted that though the wins are special and gave him kore confidence, he has moved on from them; shifting focus to preparing for the next event. He feels he needs to prove himself to the garage every time he steps inside the car.

People forget about that kind of stuff. So, for me, it’s just…cool to see it. And of course, it gives me a little bit of confidence, but I feel like the moment I start preparing for the next race, all that confidence kind of goes away and it’s time to go and prove it again.

Corey Heim told Forbs.

The mentality of the race is something that is going to benefit him in the long-run and make him potentially a champion. With the right support, Heim has the skill and personality to become one of the poster boys of the sport alongside Connor Zilisch and Carson Hocevar in the future.

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