Denny Hamlin reacts to Corey Heim, 23XI news

Denny Hamlin is looking forward to seeing what Corey Heim can do when he competes in multiple NASCAR Cup Series races for 23XI Racing this year. On the Action Detrimental podcast, Hamlin, a co-owner of 23XI, reacted to Heim signing a multi-year contract to be a developmental driver.

“Yeah, we’re excited about this,” Hamlin said. “…He raced for us at Nashville last year, drove from the back of the pack to the top 12 before we had nine green/white checkers. He did a great job for us and obviously has been part of the Toyota Racing developmental program for many many years now.

“For us, we’re going to run him in some races this year, going to run him in some more races next year and just see where the future holds for him. We’re excited to give him that opportunity. He deserves it. I’m glad that he chose 23XI. He probably could have taken some other offers that would have put him in a Cup car sooner, but he chose to be part of our program, and we’re excited to field cars for him. I think he’s ready.”

Corey Heim has had a lot of success in NASCAR’s Truck Series

Corey Heim is one of the top drivers in NASCAR’s Truck Series. In 2023, the 22-year-old won the Tuck Series Regular season title and finished second in the Truck Series standings in 2024. Earlier this month Heim won the Truck Series race at Daytona after Parker Kligerman was disqualified.

Heim made his Cup Series debut last year with Legacy Motor Club and finished 25th and 22nd at Dover and Kansas, respectively. And as Hamlin mentioned, Heim competed in Nashville and finished 29th.

“It’s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I’m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year. I’m blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes,” Heim said in a press release. “The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and I’m excited to learn from the organization. I’m also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.”

“Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025,” Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing, said. “Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.”