Corey Heim, the driver of the No. 67 Robinhood Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, spoke with the media on the eve of the Daytona 500 as he aims to qualify for the prestigious event. With active support from both Toyota and his team, Heim is focused on securing a spot in the race and performing well throughout each stage of the competition.
“I don’t know if there’s a specific goal in mind in the race I think I obviously want to be a good Toyota teammate, and not only for my 23XI (Racing) teammates, but to get Toyota to victory lane as a whole. In general, I think our main goal is to make the race (Daytona 500), and 23XI and Toyota are on board to help me do that, so that’s a promising feeling, to be actively supported like that. Number one, get in the race. Number two, kind of just take it one-by-one in terms of the stages go and hopefully be in the mix at the end.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Aspirations to Compete Full Time and Gain Experience in Cup Series
Heim expressed his desire to compete full time this season and develop his skills at the highest level of NASCAR racing. Increasing his schedule from just four starts last year to twelve this year, he is aiming to gain valuable experience in high-pressure races to prepare himself better for upcoming challenges.
“I think as a competitor you always want to compete for a championship. But, at the end of the day, being able to get a feel for the Cup Series and the top level, maximizing my schedule as far as increasing the amount of races. Last year, I only had four starts versus 12 this year, so being able to my schedule a little bit was good for me from the beginning but also hitting some really good races. Kind of getting a feel for the higher-pressure races in general, just going forward that a little bit extra because it’s the big races. Getting a feel for is always good, so feel pretty good about it.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Pressure to Prove Himself in the Cup Series
Despite his progress, Heim acknowledges the pressure to prove his capabilities at the Cup Series level, drawing parallels to his earlier transition from the Truck Series. He recognizes that achieving top finishes in Cup races will take more time but remains determined to demonstrate his potential fully.
“Yeah, I relate it back to when I was first starting out of the Truck Series. It didn’t feel like I was not ready by any means, it just feels like you’re yet to prove yourself. You don’t have those statistics and those runs behind you to look back on and be like, ‘I can’t do this.’ We had some good runs last year and definitely a lot of promise but getting out there and running in the top five is definitely not an easy thing to do in the Cup Series and it’ll probably take a little longer than it did in the Truck Series for me. Looking back at 2021, when I was running select races for KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) at the time, it was a similar feeling to just you don’t have that proof that you can run up there yet. I know it’s inside of me, but to go out and actually execute that is yet to be done. That’s definitely my priority this year.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Contributions to 23XI Racing and Learning from Teammates
Heim admits his knowledge of Cup racing is still developing, but he expects that as he gains more laps and experience, he will provide valuable feedback for the team. He also values the mentorship from experienced teammates such as Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, appreciating the collaborative environment within 23XI Racing.
“Yeah, think I can help them more as I get more laps. I’m pretty green to Cup Racing and it’s hard to help them a ton as I don’t know as much about the car as Bubba (Wallace) and Tyler (Reddick) do. But I’m hoping by the end of the year that I’m acclimated enough to have a good enough understanding of the race car and provide better feedback. It’s cool Tyler said that (that he learned from Corey at Kansas last year). Glad I could help him in some way. It’s kind of a one-way street, he helps me a lot more than I help him at this point, but I have great teammates and they’re doing a great job helping, and so are my Toyota teammates as well.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
The Meaning of the Opportunity to Compete in the Daytona 500
Competing in the Daytona 500 represents a significant milestone for Heim. He acknowledges the pressure of not being locked into the race and the challenge of qualifying but takes pride in having the chance to participate, reflecting on his childhood excitement watching the event grow into a personal dream.
“Yeah, certainly a lot of pressure not being locked in the field, but to be here in general is very cool. Being here is really cool and seeing how many people care about this event, show up for this event and it being the first points-paying race of the year, and my first race of the year. Great to knock the rust off as well, to compete at the highest level, in the biggest race, at least to have a chance at it, is a rewarding feeling. When I was a kid, I was so excited to wake up and watch the Daytona 500 and to now hopefully wake up and race in it. It’s a cool feeling and just hoping tonight and tomorrow go well.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Receiving Guidance and Building Confidence Through Experience
Heim credits his teammates and the team’s broader experience for valuable advice, although he notes that actual track experience remains limited, particularly on superspeedways. As preparations continue, Heim stays focused on the learning process and teamwork required to succeed at this level.
“I don’t know of anything specific. I’ve gotten a lot of advice, not only from drivers, but a lot of the people at 23XI Racing, just from their experience of racing their way in. It’ll be interesting to see what everyone takes away from the Duels. It’s hard to give advice without having a sample, right? I’ve hardly been around a (super)speedway in a Cup car yet. Think it’s all been good advice so far. Everyone at 23XI is trying to accomplish the same goal. Happy to be around a great group of people.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
He remains strategic about the upcoming events, emphasizing careful preparation and readiness to navigate the challenges ahead, especially given how much remains out of his control during a superspeedway race.
“Yeah, at the end of day, have to take it one event at a time. Depending on how qualifying goes, we may be able to breeze through the Duels no problem, and not worry about it. You don’t really learn to expect the worst as a race car driver, but to prepare for the worst. Prepared to race in through a Duel if need be and I feel prepared to go out there and execute that without making any crucial mistakes. That’s not something that’ll be easy by any means with so much out of your control on a speedway, but prepared to execute to the best of my ability.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Maximizing Race Opportunities to Accelerate Development
Heim considers himself a developing driver and values every chance to race across different series to refine his skills. Starting the season at the Daytona 500 in a part-time capacity represents a significant step on a larger journey toward establishing himself in NASCAR’s top tier.
“I still consider myself a developing driver, so any anything I can get into, from a Truck, to a Cup car, to a late model, whatever it is, to continue to develop, continue to learn and maximize, potentially for Sunday racing. It’s definitely a big chapter in my life. The last three years, I’ve gotten really used to Truck racing. Not that you’re not racing under a big spotlight, but this is obviously the biggest stage in American Motorsports, so being able to start it off at the Daytona 500 in a part-time season is a big deal for me. Hoping to maximize that and set myself up in the future.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Reflecting on Past Races to Build Momentum
The positive performance at the Bristol night race last season boosted Heim’s confidence, ending a challenging stretch on a strong note. He views that experience as motivation going into the current season.
“Yeah, for sure. We had a pretty tough stretch leading up to that race. We started off really well at Kansas with a top-15, and then didn’t have good races after that. Ending the year as far as how well we were able to do in our last race and to brush off those past races. Definitely glad to have ended the year on a high note and know the potential is still there, if I can just piece a race together the way I need to. That’s the motivation for this year.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Learning From Last Year’s Qualifying Experience
Heim compared his mindset at Chicago last year with the present qualifying challenge at Daytona, acknowledging that while aggressive efforts can lead to setbacks, the approach to making the field this weekend is more focused on consistency and avoiding mistakes.
“Honestly, probably less than you would think. I felt like from the Chicago practice, I felt like we had a good shot to qualifying top-10, top-15, and my mindset was, ‘I’m going for pole. Going to go like heck and see if I can be in the top-10 at the end of this thing.’ And just pushed too much and wrecked in qualifying, and missed the show. And missing the show was never even in my head, I was just going for it. But, you come to Daytona and so much is out of your control. You have eight open cars for four spots. I feel like now, all you’re fixated on is making the race. In a way, I missed the (Chicago) race last year, I don’t want to do that again this weekend. At the end of the day, the mindset is so different. The way you make it in is so different. Still in the back of my mind that I don’t want to do it twice.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Support From Team Owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin
Heim shared that fellow 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan maintains active involvement with the team and personally supports his drivers. Jordan’s attention, along with that of Denny Hamlin, has provided Heim with ongoing encouragement throughout his transition to Cup racing.
“Yeah, he’s (Michael Jordan, team co-owner) a lot more involved than most people think. After pretty much every Truck win last year, he reached out to me with congratulations and every time I ran good, bad or indifferent in a Cup car, he’d reach out and share some words. I always thought that was motivating to have an owner, but also an owner that’s very involved and motivated. Think everyone knows he’s probably a busy guy but seems like he always makes time to pay attention and stay in the loop with the 23XI side of things. Him and Denny (Hamlin, team co-owner) have been just awesome so far. Didn’t know what I was expecting getting into it, but definitely a lot of support.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Adapting to the Transitional Phase of His Racing Career
Heim has experienced multiple transitional years throughout his development, shifting between partial and full-time schedules in different racing series. This familiar pattern has helped him manage expectations and focus on growth rather than immediate championship results.
“I’ve actually had several of these years where it’s been sort of a transition from part-time to full-time. I don’t exactly know what I’m doing in 2027 yet. I think full-time is close, but when I went from late model to ARCA, I had a sort of a part-time ARCA year in there before I was full-time. ARCA to Trucks, same thing, kind of weird part-time year in the Trucks. So, kind of used to these transition years. But, the thing that’s kind of nice is not having the championship points in the back of your head. Of course, as a competitor, you always want to compete for points and a championship, but it kind of helps you digest the races a little easier to not have that points situation looming in the back of your head. So yeah, no stranger to that by any means and I think these opportunities will be good this year.”
– Corey Heim, 23XI Racing Driver
Outlook on the Season and the Road Ahead
As Heim advances toward the Daytona 500 and beyond, his partnership with 23XI Racing and Toyota provides a promising foundation for progress. His thoughtful approach to learning, combined with the support from seasoned teammates and owners, prepares him to maximize the opportunities of this part-time season while building toward a full-time role.
With the intense competition of the Daytona 500 qualifying and subsequent Duels, Heim’s focus on preparation, execution, and resilience will be key as he hopes to mark a breakthrough in one of motorsport’s most challenging environments. Success at Daytona could serve as a catalyst for establishing himself firmly in NASCAR’s Cup Series and achieving further milestones with 23XI Racing and Toyota in the near future.
