Why did 23XI Racing’s day end in a catastrophe in Nashville?

NASCAR Cup Series team 23XI Racing endured a rough outing at Nashville Superspeedway during the 14th regular-season race of the 2025 NASCAR campaign. The team's troubles weren’t limited to a single driver, as nearly every 23XI entry faced setbacks or misfortune throughout Sunday’s (June 1) Cracker Barrel 400.

Three key issues stood out as major contributors to 23XI Racing's struggles at Nashville. The first was an early speeding penalty by the #23 driver, Bubba Wallace, on lap 44. Despite having one of the fastest cars on track, the penalty dropped Wallace a lap down early in the race, setting the tone for a challenging day.

The second setback involved Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Camry. During the restart on lap 124, Reddick suspected a flat tire and made an unscheduled trip to pit road for inspection. The decision cost him several track positions and dropped him to the rear of the field. To compound the issue, a caution flag was thrown shortly after his stop, marking the third major blow to 23XI Racing, as one of its drivers was the reason behind that caution flag.

In just his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start, 23XI Racing development driver Corey Heim saw his race at Nashville Superspeedway come to an early end. Driving the #67 Toyota, Heim misjudged his entry into Turn 4, where veteran Brad Keselowski was running the outside lane. The contact between Heim and Keselowski’s #6 Ford sent Heim spinning, ultimately ending his day due to the self-inflicted incident.

23XI Racing driver shoulders the blame for getting a 'bit too desperate' following contact with Brad Keselowski at Nashville

Corey Heim has been a force to be reckoned with, piloting the #11 Toyota for Tricon Garage in the Truck Series. However, his second Cup Series start this year was not what the 22-year-old had hoped for.

After making contact with Brad Keselowski and ending his race in the Cracker Barrel 400, 23XI Racing's #67 driver acknowledged his mistakes in an interview with Frontstretch.

"I'm pretty sure I just kind of cleared myself across the nose of the 6 (Brad Keselowski). A little bit too desperate. We were moving forward really quickly, and I had a lot of confidence in my Chief's Camry and thought I could clear him by the time I got to the wall, and just used too much race track, so sorry to those guys. It looks like I kind of ruined his day, too, and never want to do that."

The overall results for 23XI Racing at Nashville were headlined by Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, with both of them securing top ten finishes (P6 and P9, respectively). Riley Herbst finished the race in P24, and Corey Heim finished in P37 following his DNF.