23XI locks Corey Heim for 2027 Cup season

23XI Racing has signed Corey Heim, a 23-year-old, for a full-time NASCAR Cup Series role in 2027. The move positions Heim alongside Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace and replaces Riley Herbst, while long-running ambition from Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan—shap

When the 23-year-old Corey Heim steps into 23XI Racing’s No. 35 Toyota full-time for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season, it will mark the latest twist in how a dream becomes a contract—decided years in advance, and sharpened by a legal fight.

23XI Racing announced Saturday, May 30 at Nashville Superspeedway that it has signed Heim as a full-time Cup Series driver for 2027. The team. co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and standout driver Denny Hamlin. said Heim will join Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace as the third full-time driver at NASCAR’s top level. replacing Riley Herbst. Herbst is expected to join Legacy Motor Club, according to the Athletic.

Hamlin’s first job will be to sell the move as more than a roster update. In a statement. he called Heim “a gifted driver who is continuing to get better and better with each race he runs. ” adding that Heim “has a bright future in the sport” and “joins a team that is continuing to build a solid foundation.” Hamlin also thanked Herbst “for all he has done to help get the 35 team going. ” and said he and the team will keep working “to be competitive each week.”.

Heim will run the No. 35 Toyota for Jordan and Hamlin next season, and his promotion will complete a progression that has been playing out since 2024, when he became a developmental driver for 23XI. Since then, Heim has competed in 11 Cup Series races for Jordan’s team and Legacy Motor Club.

His best Cup Series finish to date came last year at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he placed sixth driving 23XI’s No. 67 Toyota.

In his statement, Heim framed the deal as the culmination of years of sacrifice. “Since I was five years old. all I ever wanted was to be a Cup driver. ” he said. adding that his family “have sacrificed a ton to get me to this level” and that he “don’t take that for granted.” He said that when the opportunity came—“to be a development driver with 23XI Racing”—he “trusted my gut” and knew it was the place to build a long-term career. Heim also pointed to support from “everyone at 23XI to the team at Toyota Racing. ” and said. “I can’t wait for the 2027 season to begin.”.

The team’s path to Heim, though, runs deeper than a talent evaluation. Through discovery in the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports vs. NASCAR antitrust lawsuit that was eventually settled in late 2025. it was revealed that Jordan told Hamlin to “lock him up” regarding signing Heim to a Cup Series deal before another team could.

That legal detail matters because it ties a business decision to a moment of urgency inside a high-stakes dispute—one where 23XI and its partners were fighting over NASCAR’s structure and rules. The settlement came in late 2025. but the competitive instinct behind the “lock him up” instruction appears to have been circulating long before Heim ever reached a full-time seat.

The hard proof of Heim’s rise is written in the ladder he climbed. A native of Marietta. Georgia. he began racing Legends cars in Atlanta. then moved up through late models and super late models in the CARS Tour. before making his debut in the lower-tier ARCA in 2019. Heim captured CARS Tour wins at South Boston and Hickory, and won an ARCA race at Kansas.

That momentum earned him a spot with Kyle Busch Motorsports in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series. Heim made his debut in 2021 at Darlington Raceway. At the same time. he continued racing ARCA—winning six races in 2021 for Venturini Motorsports and finishing as the championship runner-up. The following year with KBM, he won two Truck Series races and finished in the top five in four others.

As his results accumulated, his stature grew. Driving the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage last year. Heim won the Truck Series championship and set the record for most wins in a single season at that level with 12. breaking Greg Biffle’s mark of nine victories set in 1999. Across 93 races over six years, Heim has 25 wins in the Truck Series, which is fifth-best all-time.

Hamlin referenced that kind of rare pipeline when he spoke Saturday at Nashville. “For our company, generational drivers only come by every now and then,” he said, “and I firmly believe that we have one here.”

The timing of Heim’s promotion also reflects what 23XI is building right now. This season. Heim is running a mixed schedule. having competed in four truck races and four Cup Series competitions so far. In his most recent Cup start, he finished 19th at the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

23XI, meanwhile, is off to a strong start with its top two drivers. Heading into the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville on Sunday, Reddick is first in the point standings and Wallace is 13th—three spots above the cutoff line for the Chase.

The next question for Heim is simple: can the momentum that brought him through Trucks and into high-level Cup flashes translate into week-by-week consistency in the sport’s biggest spotlight?. For 23XI. the answer starts in 2027—backed by a contract that. according to what emerged from the antitrust case. was pursued with urgency long before the check was written.

Corey Heim 23XI Racing Michael Jordan Denny Hamlin NASCAR Cup Series 2027 season Tyler Reddick Bubba Wallace Riley Herbst No. 35 Toyota antitrust lawsuit