Corey Heim doesn’t “want to jump to any conclusions” for the Championship race after Martinsville victory

NASCAR: CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race at New Hampshire - Source: Imagn
Corey Heim - NASCAR: CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race at New Hampshire - Source: Imagn

Corey Heim grabbed his 11th win of the season at Martinsville Speedway, but the TRICON Garage driver remains cautious of his chances at Phoenix. This is the third time Heim has qualified for the final four as a full-time driver.

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Heim began on the second row and went on to sweep both stages. The race ended in an overtime restart where Kaden Honeycutt finished runner-up and won the tie breaker against Layne Riggs for the final transfer spot, while Ty Majeski and Tyler Ankrum made it into the final four with a point each.

The No.11 driver had a race-high 77-lap lead and came away with a maximum of 60 points from the outing. He's the most winningest driver this season, but his track record in championship races offers cause to worry. He got wrecked out of the title picture in 2023 and lost to Majeski after facing a restart penalty in 2024.

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In a post-race interview, Heim took note of the fact and said(via Theracingexperts.com),

“I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. We still got a big race going into Phoenix. We wanted to have the momentum going into Phoenix and this is the way to do it. Got a big one next week to close it. It’s gonna be tough but I’m confident we can do it."
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Corey Heim's 2026 schedule isn't decided yet. He's poised for 23XI Racing's fourth entry, but Denny Hamlin shared that the antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR will dictate his chances.


Kevin Harvick believes Corey Heim is 'pigeonholed' in the Truck Series

Despite his dominant form, Corey Heim faces an uncertain future for next season. He may run select races in the Truck and Cup Series, or possibly secure a full-time ride in the Xfinity Series.

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In a recent episode of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, the veteran driver sat with Heim's former team owner, Billy Venturini, who praised the 23-year-old for his sim racing capabilities.

"I think the very best one for how he preps using SIM and everything else is Corey Heim. Corey is the best SIM driver I've ever seen," he said. [0:27 onwards]

Harvick chimed in and said,

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"I'm glad you said that because I feel like he's pigeonholed into the Truck Series right now. He's just out there destroying them because he's so much better than them. But he, if you put him in at Daytona next year in the Cup car, he's going to be competitive and he's gonna figure it out."
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Apart from his 11-race win tally, Corey Heim is also the only NASCAR driver without a single DNF across all three National Series. Moreover, he logged top-10 results in both Xfinity and Cup Series this year.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Vignesh Kanna
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