Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 JBL® Toyota
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Dead on Tools 200, Race 7 of 23, 147 Laps –45/45/57; 200.1 Miles
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.336-mile egg-shaped oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 6, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Story on Corey:
Over a month after winning his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Corey Heim makes his long-awaited return to the No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro Friday night at Darlington Raceway. Heim’s win was extra special as the Georgia driver executed a last-lap pass on his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the same venue he cut his racing teeth on the quarter-mile-track located on the frontstretch, to pick up his first Truck Series triumph in just his firth series start. While he hasn’t raced since his win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, Heim has traveled with the No. 51 to all three races on the schedule since then to observe and learn.
Heim made three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2021, with a best result of 11th coming at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Heim had an impressive Truck Series debut at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway last May, where he led two laps, finished Stage Two in the runner-up position and was running second when he got turned from behind on a restart with just under 30 laps remaining. The incident forced him to the garage and ended his night with a disappointing 23rd-place finish.
Despite not being slated for a full-time schedule this year, Heim is competing for the 2022 Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. Despite competing in only two of six events this season, he sits fourth in the standings, 32 points behind Lawless Alan. Heim will look to join three other KBM drivers that have won the award, reigning winner Chandler Smith, William Byron (2016) and Erik Jones (2015).
In addition to his part-time Camping World Truck Series schedule, the 19-year-old driver is running six-race schedule in the ARCA Menards Series for Venturini Motorsports. Heim led 74 of 90 laps en route to the victory at Daytona in February to pick up his eighth career ARCA Menards Series victory. Across 38 career ARCA Menards Series starts has 588 laps led, 28 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.1. Heim finished second to Ty Gibbs in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship standings. The Toyota Racing Development product collected six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes and produced an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
Mardy Lindley returns to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. In addition to this year’s with Heim, the No. 51 team produced three victories in Lindley’s first season as a crew chief at KBM, two with owner-driver Kyle Busch and one with Martin Truex Jr. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley’s best result across two starts calling the shots at Darlington was Heim’s 23rd-place result last May.
JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, returns to KBM for an eighth season and will be the primary sponsor on Heim’s Toyota for 10 races this season including Friday’s race at Darlington. Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will serve as a primary sponsor for four of Heim’s races, beginning July 29 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park.
Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
Now that you have had time to digest it, how does it feel to be a winner in the Camping World Truck Series?
“It feels so surreal. Ever since I was a kid, I had dreamed of racing in the Truck Series, and to win at my home track with KBM and Toyota was so special. Aside from that, it takes some pressure off of me, although the goal to win races remains the same.”
That win in Atlanta was the last time you’ve been behind the wheel of a truck. How hard has it been to go over a month without racing in the Truck Series?
“It’s definitely tough to sit on the sidelines while other drivers rotate in and out of the No. 51 Tundra TRD Pro but being able to go to all of the races so far this year and be a part of the team has taught me a lot about what goes into a successful race team.”
You showed a lot of speed last year at Darlington in your Truck Series debut but got taken out in an accident. Is this a race you’ve had circled on your calendar since your schedule for this year was announced?
“Darlington is certainly a race I’ve had circled on my calendar. With the experience I’ve gained since my debut there last year, I’m excited to go back and put everything I’ve learned to the test.”
Corey Heim Career Highlights:
- Picked up first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway March 19, 2022 in just his fifth start. Across five career starts has one win, 22 laps led, one top-five and one top-10 finish resulting in an average finish of 17.0.
- Made three Truck Series starts in 2021 with a best result of 11th coming at Martinsville Speedway in October.
- Finished runner-up in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings in 2021 after collecting six wins, three poles, 406 laps led, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 3.1 across 20 starts.
- Across 38 career ARCA Menards Series starts has eight wins, 588 laps led, 28 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.1. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
Corey Heim’s No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro:
KBM-69: The No. 51 JBL team will unload KBM-69 for Friday’s 147-lap event at Darlington. This is the same Tundra TRD Pro that Heim drove in his Truck Series debut last year at Darlington when he led two laps and ran inside the top five for the majority of the first two stages before being relegated to a 23rd-place finish after getting caught up in a wreck in the Final Stage. Kyle Busch earned a runner-up finish with this Toyota at Las Vegas in March in its lone start in 2022.
Click here to see KBM-69 Performance Profile
KBM Notes of Interest:
- KBM drivers have collected one win, 95 laps led, three top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.0 across 11 starts at Darlington. Kasey Kahne led a race-high 95 laps en route to victory in the 2011 event.
- KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (92) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
- With 38 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.
