Why did Corey Heim fail to qualify for Chicago Cup Series race?

Corey Heim failed to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago. A statement he posted on social media explains exactly what went wrong. Corey Heim directly took responsibility for the incident.

In an X post, Heim explained that he made a mistake during his first lap of qualifying, which led to damage on the car’s toe link. The bent component affected his car's performance, preventing him from putting together a fast enough lap to make the field. Despite trying to salvage the run, the car didn’t have the necessary speed. Katherine Legge locked in the final qualifying spot, narrowly bumping Heim from the lineup.

Corey Heim

@CoreyHeim_

LINK

Made a mistake on my first lap and bent the toe link. Tried to get everything I could out of it after that but clearly wasn’t enough. That’s completely my fault and still trying to process all of it. Thank you

@23XIRacing

for a car plenty capable enough to make the race.

Corey Heim drives full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage, but with no truck race this weekend, he was tapped by 23XI Racing to pilot their No. 67 car in Chicago. Unfortunately, things didn’t go his way during Saturday’s qualifying. He was the only driver who didn’t make the field.

The toe link damage, which threw off the car’s handling, hurt Heim’s chances most. These Next Gen cars are durable overall, but the toe links remain weak. Even slight contact can result in a performance drop. Once that part was bent on Heim’s first lap, there wasn’t much he could do to recover. Without a clean lap, he couldn’t challenge for a spot in the race.

Despite the disappointment, the rest of the 23XI Racing team had mixed outcomes. Tyler Reddick qualified fourth. Bubba Wallace, who was fastest in practice, wrecked in qualifying and will start 37th. Riley Herbst landed a mid-pack P21 starting spot.

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Corey Heim led 99 of 100 laps to win at Lime Rock Park

Just a week before the Chicago disappointment, Corey Heim delivered a dominant win in the LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park on June 28, 2025. Driving the No. 11 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage, Heim started from pole and never looked back. He clocked the fastest qualifying lap at 53.12 seconds, with a top speed of 100.17 mph. He led 99 out of 100 laps, only losing the lead briefly to Layne Riggs.

In the post-race interview with FOX Sports, Heim explained how hard he had prepared for the road course and how well his truck performed. Corey Heim said:

“Yeah, I mean, it's nothing short of incredible, man, I mean, these these road courses I really look forward to them, you know, pre event and whatnot, and prepare pretty hard for them. So, to see that. I'll pay off with safe flight truck onto at a super special. Obviously, a truck is so good today just can't. Can't complain, one bit about that, you know, fall this day and take that move forward and try to flex this year.”

Heim beat defending champion Ty Majeski by over a second at the line. His next race will be the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, scheduled for July 25, 2025. It’ll be broadcast live on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 8 p.m. ET.