Corey Heim voices disappointment after flat tire under caution derails momentum at Pocono

Corey Heim was left disappointed after a flat right rear tire took him out of Friday’s MillerTech Battery 200 Craftsmanship Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway. Despite leading 48 of the scheduled 80 laps, the Tricon Garage athlete had to settle for a P23 finish.

Notably, it's not new for Heim to get relegated to the back of the pack despite leading race-high laps. Five times this season, the Marietta, Georgia native has been on the wrong side of luck. Heim does have four wins to his name in 2025, but it is safe to say that he could have had more.

After the race got over, the defending Pocono race winner spoke with Dustin Albino of Jayski.com, reflecting on his misery.

“It’s really frustrating, you know, have a chance to do something pretty special, you know, with this 11 team, and I feel like we just obviously haven’t gotten it done one way or another,” Corey Heim said “I feel like we kinda write a new way to have it go away on us every week.”

“So, I don’t know, just really can’t put words to it. Just unfortunate. I ran something over and somehow, coming to the green flag on the last stint there, never got another caution. Just kind of worst kind of situation you can have there,” he added.

While Heim dropped to the pit road without a late caution, Layne Riggs took the lead. There was confusion between Riggs and Carson Hocevar on the restart with 19 laps to go, leading to the latter getting black flagged. Despite pleading his case, the NASCAR Cup Series regular was sent to the rear of the field.

Following Hocevar's fiasco, it was Riggs on the lead lap. He won the race, while Tanner Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, and Daniel Hemric rounded off the top-five.

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“I’m very happy with my opportunities”- Corey Heim doesn’t sweat it out while waiting for a full-time Cup Series contract

Corey Heim is one of the most promising drivers that NASCAR has seen in recent years. The 22-year-old speedster’s most recent win came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2025, making him the youngest driver to bag 15 career victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. So, one might wonder why he isn’t in the Cup Series yet.

Heim thinks he is ready to make select Cup starts. However, landing a full-time deal will require him to gain more experience.

“I definitely feel like I’m ready to make Cup starts – I don’t know if I’m ready to be a full-time Cup driver, that is what I’m learning as I go,” Corey Heim said in a statement (quoted by Sports Illustrated). “I certainly feel like I am, but it is going out and proving that.”

Heim has made two Cup starts for 23XI Racing so far in the 2025 season, delivering a P13 at Kansas Speedway and a P37 at Nashville Superspeedway in the No. 67 Toyota Camry.

“I’m really happy with the opportunities that Toyota and 23XI have given me the past couple of years. I’m very happy with my 11 crew on the Truck side, and the 67 guys on the Cup side. I think I have a lot of things going for me in the right direction, and I’m very happy with my opportunities,” he added.

Next up for Corey Heim is the LIUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut. The 100-lap race has been scheduled for June 28th. Fans can watch it live on FOX (1 pm ET onwards) or listen to radio updates on NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.