Corey Heim: Driver, No. 51 Crescent Tools Toyota
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Lucas Oil 150, Race 23 of 23 (Championship 4), 150 Laps
45/45/60; 150 Miles
Location: Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway (one-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Nov. 4, 2022, at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Story on Corey:
Corey Heim and the No. 51 Crescent Tools team head to Phoenix Raceway for the final race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Despite a fifth-place finish by Heim in the final race of the Round of 8 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, the No. 51 team was eliminated from the owner’s playoffs after finishing seventh on the playoff grid, 42 points below the cutoff for advancing to the Championship 4.
Heim will be making his 16th start of the Truck Series season Friday night. He proved himself capable of winning Truck Series races early in the season picking up wins in his second start of the season at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and his sixth start of the year at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, but also had several tough results. Despite the two wins, he posted an average finish of 19.5 across his first eight Truck Series starts of the 2022 season. Since taking over the wheel of the No. 51 for the remainder of the season in the last race of the regular season, Heim has produced consistent results, with four top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.9 across the last seven events.
Across 15 total Truck Series starts this season, Heim has produced two wins, two poles, 64 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 14.5. The 19-year-old driver leads the Truck Series rookie of the year standings by 184 points over Lawless Alan and has been named the rookie of the race eight times. 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). Overall, Heim sits 14th in the driver point standings, despite only starting 15 of the 22 events, and is ahead of seven competitors that have started all 22 races.
Friday’s 150-lap event will mark Heim’s first Truck Series start at Phoenix, but he has three starts in other series. He finished second in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series event at the one-mile track and eighth in the 2020 ARCA Menards West Series event. He also made one start in the NASCAR K&N West Series at the Arizona track, which resulted in a 25th-place finish.
The Georgia driver picked up his first career Truck Series victory in just his fifth start earlier this season at Atlanta and won again at Gateway in is ninth start. With two victories across his first 10 Truck Series starts; Heim 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 picked up his ninth career ARCA Menards Series victory Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway. Across 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts he has produced 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. 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’s drivers have an average finish of 18.5 across two Truck Series starts at Phoenix.
Crescent Tools, a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, will be the primary sponsor on Heim’s No. 51 Tundra TRD Friday night at Phoenix.
Corey Heim, Driver Q&A:
Reflect on your two seasons racing for KBM.
“I’m super grateful for my experience at KBM. From my first start to my last, I feel like I have learned so much racing for Kyle and being a part of a top-notch organization.”
You’re set to win the Rookie of the Year despite not running the full season. Talk about that accomplishment.
“It certainly means a lot. It wasn’t something I came into the year setting my sights on, considering if any of the full time rookies make the playoffs, I wouldn’t have a chance. But I take every race one week at a time and try to perform to the best of my ability, and throughout my career it’s always given me the best results at the end of the season. So, I’m very grateful when it’s all said and done that I get to take Rookie of the Year home.”
What would it mean to close out the season with your third win on Friday night?
“It would definitely mean a lot for me. I feel like we have had the pace in a lot of races this year to contend for wins. Tw0 race wins has been great for me this year, but I’m definitely not satisfied, and my sights are set on the trophy Friday night.”
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 18 career starts has two wins, two poles, 66 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 15.0.
- 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.
- 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 43 career ARCA Menards Series starts has nine wins, 814 laps led, 31 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.3. 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:
KBM-66: The No. 51 Crescent Tools team will unload KBM-66 for Friday night’s race at Phoenix Raceway. It is the same Tundra TRD Pro that Heim picked up his first career Truck Series victory earlier this year at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch also picked up a victory with this Toyota at Atlanta in March of 2021. Most recently Heim earned a fourth-place finish with KBM-66 in June at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
KBM Notes of Interest:
- KBM drivers have collected six wins, six poles, 953 laps led, 15 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.1 across 34 starts at Phoenix Raceway. The organization’s six victories at the Arizona track have come with five different drivers, with Chandler Smith’s victory in last year’s event being the most recent. Kyle Busch won in 2011, Brian Scott in 2012, Erik Jones went back-to-back in 2013 and 2014 while Daniel Suarez claimed the top spot in 2016.
- KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (98) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway earlier this year, 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.
