Corey Heim Signs 12 Race NASCAR Cup Deal with 23XI Racing

23XI Racing will field the No:67 Toyota Camry for 12 select races for their young prodigy Corey Heim in the 2026 NASCAR Cup season.

Corey Heim Signs 12 Race NASCAR Cup Deal with 23XI Racing

Denny Hamlin and Corey Heim (Via IMAGO)

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One of the biggest shocks of the 2026 Cup season was the announcement that for the second straight season, Corey Heim’s parent team 23XI Racing has refused to give him a Cup promotion and he will stay in the Truck series with Tricon Garage. It was a disappointing decision considering he won 12 races in the way to win the third division title.

Fortunately, 23XI Racing is set to give him a proper part-time Cup deal, as he is set to race in 12 selected races in the 2026 season, driving the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE. Corey Heim will race in all four of the crown jewel races, starting with the Daytona 500. It the perfect opportunity for him to prove he deserve a full-time seat for 2027 and beyond.

After the Daytona 500, he will start the Kansas Speedway race, Texas Motor Speedway race, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Nashville Superspeedway, the new San Diego Street Course race. He will also race at Chicagoland Speedway, Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, Daytona International Speedway, Southern 500 at Darlington, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway finale.

In his statement about the part-time schedule announcement, the Toyota driver pointed out that he is really excited to continue his progression with Michael Jordan’s team. He is fully committed to the efforts of the team and sees this as the perfect opportunity for the him to prove his worth as well as perfect his race craft.

I’m excited and honored to continue my progression with 23XI. Every driver wants to race as much as possible, but I’m fully committed to the approach that I am taking with the team. I look forward to more Cup races this year and the opportunity to grow and expand my race-craft on and off the track.

Corey Heim said via motorport.com.

Denny Hamlin has high hopes for Corey Heim’s future

In a sperate statement, JGR veteran racer and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin shared his thoughts on announcement and pointed out that he sees a bright future for the young Heim. He highlighted how the part-time schedule is part of their long-time plan give the racer a full-time seat with 23XI.

Denny Hamlin (via Imago)
Denny Hamlin (via Imago)

We know the future is really bright for Corey, and we’re working with him to ensure that he is as prepared as possible when his time comes to race full time.  We’re continuing to stick to our plan and taking a long-term approach, while also remaining focused on what is collectively best for our organization and our partners as we look to continue being a competitive, winning organization each weekend.

Denny Hamlin said.

23XI Senior Director Dave Rogers also shared his thoughts on the situation and pointed out that they are doing everything possible to prepare Heim for the future. They want to grow as a team using the youngsters feedback while sharpening his skills.

Corey’s development with the team has been impressive and we appreciate his patience and trust in us to prepare him as best as possible. He has not only been a great student but has also provided valuable feedback to our team that has helped us grow. We’re looking forward to more races with him this year as he continues to sharpen his skills.

Dave Rogers asserted.

The comments from the veteran team official seems to be on point. 23XI wants to Corey Heim to have a proper growth as a racer in a controlled pace as they don’t want to immediately throw him to the wolf with a Cup seat. It will be interesting to see how everything is going to playout for the youngster in the 2026 season.

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