As if there was any doubt about how good Corey Heim is, the defending NASCAR Truck Series champion earned his first career Cup Series win Sunday at Naval Base Coronado in his 13th start.
Heim got around race leader, 23XI Racing teammate and Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick with three laps to go after Reddick made a mistake entering turn 2. Reddick was unable to chase Heim back down and had a flat left-front tire with two laps to go, relegating him to a 25th-place finish.
Despite making contact with the wall after he passed Reddick, Heim was able to hold on to the lead.
Heim is running a part-time Cup Series schedule with 23XI in 2026 before going full-time with the team in 2027. The 23-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, already won three Truck Series races in 2026.
“I’m speechless,” Heim told Prime Video. “Hit the wall a couple times, maybe knocked some good into the car. I feel like for a while there [Reddick] was playing with me. Five to go came, kinda time to put some pressure on him. A lot of respect for him, though. Great teammate. Crazy. It feels like a dream. This is insane.”
