Race drivers and race teams love to have momentum on their side. It’s much better to carry a streak of good finishes into your next race than it is to try to overcome a streak of bad finishes. And the inertia of good finishes just seems to carry itself on once that streak is in place.
Corey Heim (No. 22 Speedway Children’s Charities Ford) has that inertia on his side, but he himself has been in an ARCA Menards Series race since the May 19 event at Toledo Speedway. But since then, his team, with driver Ty Majeski behind the wheel, has won two of the three races contested and finished second in the third. Majeski and crew chief Paul Andrews earned wins at Charlotte and Pocono, and if they had another gallon of fuel, likely would have earned their third consecutive win at Michigan. Majeski settled for a runner-up finish instead.
Although he hasn’t been in the car since May, Heim is ready to keep that momentum on his side.
“I’m very excited to be back with the team for Madison,” explained Heim. “They’ve had a great month or so and its’ a lot of pressure for me to get back in the seat and keep their momentum alive – but I’m ready for the challenge and ready to help them fight for the owner’s championship.”
Heim hasn’t had a bad season himself to this point. He made his series debut at Five Flags Speedway in March and finished fifth, then matched that result with another fifth-place run in his second start at Salem Speedway in April. Heim credits his quick adaptation of the heavier ARCA-style cars to working with Andrews and car owner Chad Bryant, both of whom have a wealth of experience working with young drivers.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with someone like Paul Andrews,” Heim said. “He is very patient working with new drivers and is diligent in listening to my feedback. With every race that we’re together, I think we are making great strides. I don’t think it will be long before we’re together in Victory Lane.”
Despite all of that knowledge on the pit box, Heim is the one who has to get it done inside the racecar. He’s been quick to pick up on some of the most demanding race tracks in the country. He’s never been to Madison International Speedway before, so Friday’s ninety-minute practice session for that evening’s Shore Lunch 200 will be all the time he has to get used to the tight high-banked Madison half-mile.
“Going into Madison, there is definitely a sense of urgency for me to show some good results in the ARCA Menards Series,” said Heim. “I’m far from satisfied on my results in my four starts this season and I feel like I need to show that I’m better than what I’ve shown. Madison is a great place to turn my season around, considering I’ll have some friends and family there as well. I’ve done a lot of studying on that race track, and it’s definitely going to be a huge challenge for me. It’s a one day show and I didn’t get any practice or testing on that track, so I need to be on my game all day long.”
Practice for the Shore Lunch 200 at Madison International Speedway is scheduled for 2:15 pm CT/1:15 pm CT on Friday, June 14, with General Tire Pole Qualifying set for 6 pm ET/5 pm CT, and the 200-lap main event slated for 9 pm ET/8 pm CT. The race will be broadcast live flag-to-flag on MAVTV. ARCA for Me members can access free live timing & scoring, track updates, and live chat at ARCARacing.com. New users can register for free with a valid email address at ARCARacing.com/login. Fans can buy discounted tickets to the Shore Lunch 200 at Madison-area Menards locations for just $20, a savings of $10 per adult general admission ticket. For more information, visit MISRacing.com.
