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.

Friday, May 6
Track: Darlington Raceway, 1.36-mile oval
Race: 7 of 23
Event: Dead On Tools 200 (147 laps, 200 miles)

Schedule
Friday, May 6
First Practice: 3:00 p.m. ET
Qualifying: 3:30 p.m. ET
Race: 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Wastequip Ford F-150

• Hailie Deegan will line up for her 30th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start as the No.1 Wastequip F-150 gears up for Friday’s contest at Darlington (S.C) Raceway.
• The 20-year-old makes her second career start at the famous “Lady in Black.” Deegan found herself running 14th in last year’s contest before a wreck on the final lap mired her to a 29th place finish.
• Deegan and the No.1 team are in the midst of a positive momentum swing, netting back-to-back top-20 finishes after solid runs at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• 16-year NCWTS Crew Chief Mike Hillman has sat atop the box five times at Darlington Raceway, totaling one career win, two top-fives, and three top-10s.
• Deegan’s throwback scheme will honor NASCAR Hall of Famer and founding member of the iconic Alabama Gang, Bobby Allison.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Dead On Tools Ford F-150

• Tanner Gray rolls into Darlington Raceway on Friday evening for the 55th NCWTS start of his career and seventh of the 2022 season.
• While the No. 15 F-150 won’t adorn a throwback paint scheme, the team welcomes a new partner in Dead On Tools. The precision tool and work gear manufacturer will also serve as the race entitlement sponsor for Friday evening.
• Through the opening six races, Gray has two top-fives and three top-10s. He sits eighth in the series standings as he pursues his first career playoff berth.
• Crew Chief Jerry Baxter has called a combined 12 races between the Cup and Xfinity Series at Darlington with one top-five and 2 top-10s.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 United Rentals Ford F-150

• Ryan Preece and United Rentals return to the No. 17 for their third race together of the 2022 season.
• Preece will pay tribute to modified legend Reggie Ruggiero with a blue-and-white scheme that throws back to the No. 44 Mario Fiore-owned modified driven by Ruggiero in the late 1980s and early 1990s
• In his two Truck Series starts this season, the Connecticut driver has finishes of fourth and seventh at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway respectively.
• Veteran DGR employee Seth Smith will be atop the pit box this week. He has called 15 previous NCWTS races with 10 of those coming last season with David Gilliland, Riley Herbst, Kevin Harvick, Bill Lester and Tanner Gray.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 3, 2022) – Niece Motorsports and two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Ross Chastain have announced a partnership, with Worldwide Express, joining the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado entry for four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races during the 2022 season beginning at Darlington Raceway for the Dead On Tools 200 on Friday, May 6.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Worldwide Express’ growing commitment to NASCAR both in the Cup Series and Truck Series,” Chastain said. “It’s an honor to represent a first-class organization like Worldwide Express both on and off the track and I’m always looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.”

“It’s a great opportunity for both sides and thanks to Trackhouse Racing for allowing me the opportunity to compete in the Truck Series with Niece and Worldwide Express.”

Worldwide Express, along with its sister brands of GlobalTranz and Unishippers, currently serve as the full-season, primary partners of Niece Motorsports’ No. 40 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Dean Thompson.

Worldwide Express and Trackhouse Racing recently announced a multi-year partnership that spans 21 NASCAR Cup Series races during the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet and Daniel Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet.

The Dallas-based Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers teams bring together three bands offering marketing-leading solutions for parcel, less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload and managed transportation services all delivered through proprietary technology. Their unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities provide customers with visibility and analytics to deliver a competitive advantage.

“Our WWEX Racing program has grown quickly, and that’s due in no small part to the Niece Motorsports team, who approach this sport with the same mindset we do for our business: that of precision and continuous improvement,” said Worldwide Express president Rob Rose.

“We’re excited to watch Ross compete alongside and mentor Dean and his fellow drivers, and are particularly grateful to Trackhouse Racing for sharing this commitment to teamwork.”

In addition to Darlington, Chastain will pilot the No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado at Texas Motor Speedway (May 20), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27), and Sonoma Raceway (June 11).

“We’re excited to see Worldwide Express continue to grow their involvement in our team and NASCAR overall,” Niece Motorsports General Manager, Cody Efaw, remarked. “We certainly don’t take their commitment to the sport and our organization for granted and are going to work hard to make them proud on and off the track. We’re honored to be aligned with such a first class company – both on Dean Thompson’s truck and now Ross’ as well.”

“It’s really incredible to see how this organization has grown over the last handful of years, and Ross has certainly been instrumental in that,” team owner Al Niece said. “We are excited to have him come back for some more races this year, and thrilled to have Worldwide Express come on board for more races with our team. We’re thankful for the commitment they’ve made to our organization and are looking forward to Darlington.”

The debut of the No. 41 Worldwide Express Silverado will be Chastain’s 97th career start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, a career that includes three wins (Kansas 2019, Gateway 2019, Pocono 2019), 17 top-fives, and 42 top-10s. It also marks Chastain’s second NCWTS event of the 2022 season.

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About Worldwide Express
Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 120,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains. With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $4 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

About Niece Motorsports
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.