By Andy DeLay Staff Writer, Seriously Fast Motorsports

The Silly Season music has finally stopped for Corey Heim, and I have to admit, I’m scratching my head a little bit on this one.

After months of speculation, 23XI Racing dropped the news: The reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion will be attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500 next month. He’ll be behind the wheel of the open No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, looking to make his first start in the Daytona 500 on February 15.

Here is the kicker: it isn’t part of a full-time campaign. In a landscape where young talent usually gets rushed up the ladder, Toyota and 23XI Racing are pumping the brakes. Heim won’t be chasing points in any series in 2026.

According to a report from Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the plan is for Heim to run a “hybrid” schedule. Pockrass notes he is “expecting” Heim to run “more than 10” Cup Series races for 23XI this year, along with a handful of Truck Series events, so that he keeps his edge.

Let’s look at his resume. We are talking about a kid who absolutely kicked everyone’s ass in the Truck Series last year. He won 12 of 25 races… nearly half the schedule… and hoisted the championship trophy. In 89 career Truck starts, he has 23 wins and has made the Championship 4 in all three of his full-time seasons. Those are video game numbers, plain and simple.

He has also dipped his toes in the Cup Series waters, making seven starts so far, including four back in 2024 with 23XI. He knows the cars, he knows the team, and he clearly knows how to find Victory Lane.

So, why Heim’s part-time schedule?

I have been covering this sport a long time, and it feels odd for Toyota to pull back on advancing Heim full-time right now. You have a driver coming off one of the most dominant Truck Series runs in history, and you shelve him? Usually, you strike while the iron is hot. To have him sit out of the full-time championship picture in 2026 feels like a missed opportunity to build on that massive momentum.

However, the “seat game” in the Cup Series is tight. The reality is likely tied to the third seat at 23XI. The valuable Cup experience Heim gains this year will be critical preparation for 2027. If 23XI decides to move on from Riley Herbst after this season, Heim is undoubtedly the plug-and-play replacement.

For now, we will see Heim chasing checkered flags rather than points. It might not be the full-time promotion we expected, but if he parks that No. 67 in Victory Lane at Daytona, I doubt anyone will be asking about his schedule on Monday morning.

Image Credit: Patrick Vallely