Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 Crescent Tools Toyota
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: TSport 200 presented by Crescent Tools
Race 17 of 23, 200 Laps – 60/60/80; 137.2 Miles
Location: Lucas Oil Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park (IRP) (0.686-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: July 29, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim and the No. 51 team head to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for Friday night’s TSport 200 presented by Crescent Tools. Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will serve as a primary sponsor on Heim’s Tundra TRD Pro for four of the final seven races this season, beginning with the opening race of the owner’s playoffs Friday night. The No. 51 team qualified for the owner’s portion of the playoffs via Heim’s two wins this season (Atlanta Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway). After the reseed for the playoffs, the No. 51 team enters fifth on the playoff grid with 2013 points, seven markers above the cutoff line for advancing the Round of 8.
The No. 51 team has captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship three times (2013-2014 & 2019) and as on organization KBM has collected a series-record seven owner’s titles.
While many drivers in the Truck Series don’t have any experience at IRP, since the series is visiting the Indiana track for the first time since 2011, Heim has made one start there in the ARCA Menards Series. He started second and finished fourth in the 2019 event at the 0.686-mile oval.
Across nine Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.8. The Georgia native picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in March and was also victorious in June at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. He’s one of just three drivers to earn multiple pole awards this season. John Hunter Nemechek leads the series with four, while Ty Majeski also has two.
With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts, the 19-year-old driver became one of just 12 drivers in series history to net multiple victories in their first 10 starts. Kasey Kahne and Mike Skinner each produced five victories, Mark Martin collected four wins, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave and William Byron brought home three checkered flags and Heim, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Rich Bickle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart all delivered two wins.
Heim is competing for the 2022 Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. Despite only having competed in nine of the 16 events so far this season, he leads the standings by 24 points over 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 Truck Series schedule Heim is competing in a six-race schedule for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series. 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 40 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has produced 659 laps led, 29 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.4. Heim finished second to Ty Gibbs in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship standings.
Mardy Lindley returned to KBM for his second season atop the pit box of the No. 51 team. Lindley has led his team to six wins since coming to KBM at the start of the 2021 season, including two with Heim and one with Kyle Busch this year. In 2021, his drivers produced three victories, two with 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 has crew chiefed two ARCA Menards Series races at IRP, recoding an average finish of 2.5 with Mayer. He has been to victory lane at IRP as a driver, leading 31 laps en route to victory in the 2004 Hooters Pro Cup race at the 0.686-mile oval.
JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will be back on the No. 51 as part of their 11-race schedule with Heim when the series returns to action Aug. 13 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.
Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
You’ve been able to go out and have a strategy to race for wins this year. Will being in the owner’s playoffs do you have to change your mindset and race for points now?
“I definitely want to put the No. 51 team in a good position to win this owner’s championship. With that being said, points racing is definitely my priority, but it doesn’t change the goal to win races week in and out.”
You’ve raced at IRP in the ARCA Menards Series. How do you think the Truck Series race will be there?
“I think IRP is a great racetrack. The groove should move around, and a full field will make the race very entertaining for the fans. I’m excited to see what kind of racing it produces.”
You’ve taken Crescent Tolls to victory lane already this year in the ARCA Menards Series. What would it mean to also be able to get them to victory lane in the Truck Series?
“I’m super excited to pilot my Crescent Tundra TRD Pro this weekend. It’s been a pleasure to have them on board in ARCA and I’m excited to be a part of their debut in a NASCAR national series race.”
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 12 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 17.7.
- 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 40 career ARCA Menards Series starts has eight wins, 659 laps led, 29 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.4. Picked up his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway Oct. 16, 2020.
Corey Heim’s No. 51 Crescent Tools Tundra TRD Pro:
The No. 51 Crescent Tools team will unload KBM-62 for Friday night’s race at IRP. This Toyota has one start in 2022, a third-place finish with KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April. KBM-62’s best result across 10 starts was a runner-up finish with Busch at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in 2021.
KBM Notes of Interest:
- KBM drivers have one top-five and one top-10 finish across two Truck Series starts at IRP resulting in an average finish of 12.0. Owner-driver Kyle Busch’s runner-up finish in 2010 was the organization’s best result.
- KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (96) 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 40 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.
