Heim Shows His Potential With Career-Best Cup Finish

Corey Heim in action at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Declan Wayman/Motorsports Hotspot photo)

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Corey Heim continued his steady ascent in the NASCAR national ranks with a career best sixth-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

In one of the season’s most demanding short-track battles, the 22-year-old flexed his muscles in one of his select chances to prove he belongs in the top tier of NASCAR’s stock car ranks.

The Craftsman Truck Series standout started from 38th position, a far cry from the front of the field, and the early stages were rough. Heim went two laps down early due to a tire issue from the extreme wear seen out of Goodyear’s new, softer right-side tire.

At the end of stage one, he was in 31st place, but timely cautions allowed him to make up ground even without a free pass and brought him to 26th by the end of stage two.

But the second half of the race told a different story. With guidance from crew chief Bootie Barker, Heim’s No. 23 Toyota team made steady adjustments to improve balance while managing tire wear, a critical factor on a night where rubber issues plagued multiple competitors.

As long green-flag runs unfolded, Heim used patience to methodically climb forward, taking advantage of addition cautions to regain the lead lap and reset his track position.

The turning point came in the closing stages, when a sequence of restarts allowed him to crack the top 10 and hold his ground against multiple Cup Series playoff drivers.

After taking the final restart with four laps to go in eighth, Heim jumped forward on the top lane and crossed the line sixth, not only outrunning several more experienced competitors but also showcasing why many in the garage consider him one of NASCAR’s brightest prospects.

His previous best finish in the Cup was 13th at Kansas earlier this year, making Saturday night a significant step forward.

“We were able to just kind of run our own race and let guys go and burn them up later on,” Heim said post-race. “I felt like it was kind of an up and down day, and really an up and down year with these guys, with my five starts … but just super proud of them. Thankful for Robin Hood and Toyota.”

Heim additionally credited his team’s persistence in turning a rough start into a statement finish.

Corey Heim (Declan Wayman/Motorsports Hotspot photo)

“I think we ended up two [laps] down,” Heim added. “But after we kind of knew the deal and adjusted our car accordingly to save the right front and the right sides, we kept ourselves in it all day.”

This sixth-place run serves as evidence that Heim is capable of strong performances in the Cup Series, even when things don’t start well.

The native of Marietta, Ga., turned his Truck Series frustrations from missing out on a win in Thursday night's Round of 10 race into a strong Saturday finish, ultimately putting together what felt like a win after 500 laps around ‘The Last Great Colosseum’.

“Yeah, I would certainly say [it’s a win],” Heim affirmed enthusiastically. “We knew that we were up for an uphill battle in the race, so to come from 38th and finish sixth on paper looks great. I’m not going to criticize anything about how we did it or what happened. I’m just going to kind of take it and move on.”

Heim is focused on the remainder of the 2025 season now, where he still has the chance to tie or break Greg Biffle’s single-season wins record in the Truck Series. Additionally, he has the chance to cement his status as a superstar in the making by winning his first NASCAR championship in November.

Regardless of how all that turns out, Heim’s Bristol Night Race performance made it clear that not only can he be great in the Cup Series field, but he should be there regularly sooner rather than later.