Corey Heim has arrived on NASCAR's biggest stage ahead of schedule

A common benchmark in modern NASCAR for young Cup Series drivers is 100 starts. 

One hundred races — which is nearly three full seasons of competition — is seen as the mark for when drivers have developed enough in order to be able to consistently run up front and potentially win their first race. 

Chase Elliott didn't win until his 99th Cup start. Nor did Kyle Larson. In April, Ty Gibbs scored his first Cup win in his 131st start. 

That's what made Corey Heim's victory in Sunday's Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado so impressive, among many other factors: it was only his 13th career start at NASCAR's highest level.  

And boy, did he ever have to earn it, racing door-to-door with his 23XI Racing teammate and Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick in the closing laps before Reddick faded and blew a tire with two laps to go. 

Not only is he not racing NASCAR's Next-Gen car every week, but he had never raced a Cup car at a road course before Sunday. He failed to qualify for the 2025 Chicago Street Race.

As if there was ever any doubt about his stature as a generational talent and NASCAR's next big thing, Heim only proved that 23XI made the right choice by tapping him as a full-time Cup driver in 2027. 

What makes Corey Heim so good?

"Corey [is] obviously super talented, but as far as the work ethic and the things he puts in, I describe as serious," said Bootie Barker, Heim's crew chief. "He's a serious person. He sees this opportunity and he wants to do well."

Heim will next be in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota at Chicagoland Speedway on July 5, where the spotlight will inevitably be brighter for Marietta, Georgia, native than it ever has been before. Coincidentally, that race falls on Heim's 24th birthday. 

"I know that our team gave Corey a list of agenda and expectations for each race that he has left on his schedule," said 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin. "Winning here was not on the agenda. I know he put in a lot of time preparing for this event."

Even with all the preparation Heim put in and how talented he is, it's not as if Sunday's win was an expected one. A runner-up finish to Reddick for Heim would've been remarkable in and of itself, but Heim had enough pace in the final laps to not only challenge Reddick, but make the race's deciding pass. 

"Truthfully, really surprised," Hamlin said when asked if he thought Heim was going to win Sunday. "I got to race around him enough where I knew he had plenty of speed. You still gotta go out there and beat some of the best. This was not expected by any means. I was very pleasantly surprised."

Heim's victorious drive could very well be a preview of what's to come for him in 2027. He has six Cup races remaining on his 2026 schedule in order to get reps in the Cup Series, though it obviously wouldn't be a surprise if he ran up front. 

Simply put, Heim is one of the future faces of NASCAR and one that should be in victory lane quite often for decades to come. 

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.