At long last, one of the most anticipated full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver announcements has come through. Corey Heim, who many expected to go full-time Cup Series racing in 2026, only to see the driver not compete in any NASCAR National Series full-time, will finally take his rightful place in the NASCAR Cup Series garage in 2027.
23XI Racing announced on Saturday afternoon that Heim will compete for the team full-time during the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season, driving the No. 35 Toyota Camry XSE for the organization. For Heim, he’ll always remember May 30, 2026, as the day that his lifelong dream came true.
“Since I was five years old, all I ever wanted was to be a Cup driver. My family and I have sacrificed a ton to get me to this level, and I don’t take that for granted,” Heim said in a 23XI Racing press release. “When the opportunity came up to be a development driver with 23XI Racing, I trusted my gut and knew this was the place I wanted to build a long-term career. From everyone at 23XI to the team at TOYOTA RACING, I’ve been blessed to have support from so many people along the way. I can’t wait for the 2027 season to begin.”
Heim will take over the No. 35 Chartered entry that Riley Herbst has piloted over the last two seasons. Herbst has been linked to the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota for the 2027 season, which will be that team’s third Chartered entry next year.
While Herbst has shown improvement in his second season with 23XI Racing, the race team couldn’t pass up on a potential generational-talent like Heim.
“We’re excited to welcome Corey to our full-time roster next season and look forward to watching him race every weekend in 2027,” said 23XI co-owner, Denny Hamlin. “Corey is a gifted driver who is continuing to get better and better with each race he runs. He has a bright future in the sport and joins a team that is continuing to build a solid foundation. We’re thankful to Riley for all he has done to help get the 35 team going and appreciate the work that he and the team will continue to do this season to be competitive each week.”
23XI Racing will announce additional details about Heim’s 2027 program, including personnel and partners at a later date.
Heim, 23, has amassed 25 victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series through a career that has spanned only 93 starts. The driver captured an all-time record 12 wins a season ago en route to the Truck Series championship, driving the No. 11 Toyota for TRICON Garage.
The native of Marietta, GA, has made 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts over the last three seasons, and in that time, he has a best finish of sixth, which came at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 2025 Night Race. Heim also has two top-15 performances on his record at Kansas Speedway (13th in 2025 and 15th in 2026).
Heim has tacked on two more NASCAR Truck Series wins this season, in a part-time schedule, and despite missing two of the opening five races of the season, was leading the championship standings after a win at Rockingham Speedway, the fifth race of the season.
Unfortunately, Heim, who is not running the full-time schedule in the Truck Series, is ineligible to contend for a berth in the NASCAR Truck Series Chase for the Championship.
This time next season, though, he will be eligible to contend for the Bill France Cup.
