“He’s going to be with 23XI”: Denny Hamlin leaves no doubt about NASCAR star’s Cup future despite no imminent deal

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was recently featured in a media day with The Athletic's reporter Jordan Bianchi ahead of the Nashville Superspeedway race. During the interaction, Hamlin gave his take on NASCAR star Corey Heim's future with his co-owned 23XI Racing.

Heim has been 23XI Racing's reserve driver and has impressed the team owner with his Truck Series starts. He has secured 15 Craftsman Series wins in 75 career starts. He also gained attention from his four Cup Series starts and finished among the top 15 drivers at Kansas Speedway.

Reflecting on the same, the team co-owner Denny Hamlin hinted that Corey Heim has a long future with the team. However, the team has yet to ink a contract with the Truck Series driver. Hamlin told Bianchi:

“He’s going to be a Sunday Cup guy. There’s no doubt in my mind about it. He’s going to be with 23XI for the long haul.” (via The Athletic)

“(Heim is) doing everything (he’s been) asked to. He’s in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he’s got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he’s happy with that. And he’s happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future," he added.

However, Hamlin also highlighted that the team was uncertain with regards to how they would fit Heim into their roster

“But, ultimately, there’s only three cars, three charters that we’re allowed to have, and so we have to figure out in the future where we go with that,” he further said.

Corey Heim ranks at the top of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with 511 points. He has secured four wins, nine top-ten finishes, and seven top-five finishes in 11 starts this season.

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23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin got candid about Corey Heim's maiden Cup Series start in 2025

NASCAR star Corey Heim drove the Legacy Motor Club's #43 Chevy for two events in the 2024 season before transitioning to Denny Hamlin's co-owned 23XI Racing. Heim debuted with the #50 Toyota Camry XSE with the new team at Nashville Superspeedway, where he had an unfortunate finish and got involved in an accident.

Ahead of the AdventHealth 400 event at Kansas Speedway on May 11, 2025, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver gave his take on Heim's second start with the team. He told Bob Pockrass (via X):

"Just kind of see where he stacks up competition-wise with the rest of the Cup field. We are all very aware of his skill set and he's going to get some good opportunities over the next few years to show that."

Denny Hamlin ranks sixth on the NASCAR Cup points table with 390 points. He has secured two back-to-back wins at Martinsville Speedway and Darlington Raceway, followed by six top-ten and five top-five finishes in 13 starts this season. Furthermore, he led 371 laps with an average finish of 15.231.

The Cracker Barrel 400 race at Nashville Superspeedway is scheduled for Sunday, June 1, 2025. Amazon Prime, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will broadcast the 300-lap/399-mile event at 7 PM ET.