Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Team Earn 16th-Place Result at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 16th
Start: 15th
Points: 20th

“We had a decent No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet tonight. We struggled with a tight aero balance early. Richard (Boswell) made good strategy calls that allowed us to run longer on fuel mid-way through the race. The adjustments our team made changed the balance once the sun went down. We were able to make up a lot of track position, had the chance to race inside the top 10, and helped Kyle (Busch) take the lead a few times with pushes. My car handled the best on the bottom and when I had to move up a lane, the car wouldn’t react how I needed it to which cost us positions at the end. To finish 16th with all the craziness that happened in the last 50 laps is a positive we can leave with. The last two races here were not that good, and we still have work to do with our Chevrolet. We can carry this momentum to the Circuit of the Americas next weekend though.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Team Score Top-10 Finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Finish: 7th
Start: 6th
Points: 23rd

“It was a better finish than I thought we were going to get tonight. There were a lot of crashed cars there, so we kind of cycled our way forward with some guys that wrecked out. Overall, the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet had really good speed. I just had a hard time opening it up. When I got back in traffic, worse than third in line, I really had to lift out of the throttle and that was holding me and my lane up. Not a lot of guys were willing to deal with that and have the patience for that, so it shucked us back there a few times. But we were able to rally and get what we could for our Cheddar’s Chevrolet. Just wish we were closer to the front at the end, but that’s where all the wrecks were happening too, so maybe not.” -Kyle Busch

RICK WARE RACING
Ambetter Health 400
Date: Feb. 23, 2025
Event: Ambetter Health 400 (Round 2 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 260 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Note: Race extended six laps past its scheduled 260-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Ford)

RWR Race Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 31st, Finished 35th / Accident, completed 183 of 266 laps)
● Corey LaJoie (Started 35th, Finished 38th / Accident, completed 149 of 266 laps)

RWR Points:

● Corey LaJoie (32nd with 21 points)
● Cody Ware (37th with four points)

Race Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the Ambetter Health 400 to score his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Atlanta.
● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 62 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Atlanta with a 12-point advantage over second-place William Byron.

Sound Bites:

“I honestly have no idea (what happened). I know that the 99 (Daniel Suárez) was spinning out ahead of us. I felt like we slowed down. I’m not sure if we got hit from behind, but next thing I know, I’m in the outside wall. So just another frustrating weekend of superspeedway racing for the 51 Arby’s team. I felt like we should not have been racing like that at that part of the race, but it is what it is and that’s what this kind of style of racing breeds. So, just thankful to be getting away from superspeedway racing and onto a road course next week at COTA.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Oh man, we were racing like hell. There’s nothing to get your heart rate up in a racecar more than this. I mean, you can talk about restarts at Dover, where it’s really hectic and stuff’s happening at lightning speed, but man, Atlanta, you have to be so precise and so instinctive with the moves you make. And we were making our way forward. I thought we got our car driving good after the first pit stop and we finally broke into that bubble, that top-20 bubble to where you can start really getting some fresh air, clean air on occasion, and then that is when you can really maneuver. We got there, and we also got there with a pretty decent strategy to then flip some guys and maybe even find ourselves on the edge of the top-10. But something about the 9 (Chase Elliott), I know everybody was kind of gummed up. I was just in line pushing, and next thing I know I went by him, and next thing I know, he caught me in the right rear.” – Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 01 AirMedCare Network Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday, March 2 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

BELL CLAIMS VICTORY IN ATLANTA
Christopher Bell leads just the final lap on his way to his 10th career Cup Series victory

HAMPTON, Ga. (February 23, 2025) – Christopher Bell drove his Toyota Camry XSE to the front when it counted – as the Oklahoma-native was scored the leader on the final lap when the caution fell, giving Bell his first Atlanta Motor Speedway victory and 10th victory of his young career. Bell drove through the field after starting 32nd and earned his first superspeedway win.

Bell led four Toyotas in the top-10 finishers as Denny Hamlin finished sixth, Bubba Wallace was scored ninth and John Hunter Nemechek finished 10th. Nemechek is one of two drivers (Ryan Blaney) to finish in the top-10 in both of the first two races this season.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race 2 of 36 – 400.4 miles, 260 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Carson Hocevar*
3rd, Kyle Larson*
4th, Ryan Blaney*
5th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*
6th, DENNY HAMLIN
9th, BUBBA WALLACE
10th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
17th, RILEY HERBST
19th, TYLER REDDICK
21st, CHASE BRISCOE
31st, ERIK JONES
32nd, TY GIBBS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

It took a couple of seconds, but you are the official winner here. What are the emotions like?

“I definitely wasn’t going to start a burnout till they told me for sure that I won. I felt like I had it because I was gauging off the guys besides me – whenever I saw the yellow flag. I don’t know – for the last lap or so, I kept seeing smoke in my rear-view mirror, and I was like, oh my gosh, please don’t crash, please don’t crash. This place is just bonkers. Every time we come here, it gets wilder and wilder, and I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would have won a superspeedway race.”

Why was it so important to you to start in the high lane?

“You just have to keep the momentum. I can be risky to be on the top or the bottom, because sometimes it forms in the middle, sometimes it forms on the top. It forms on the top, you don’t want to be on the bottom. If it forms in the middle, you don’t want to be on the top. I don’t know – you can kind of pick wrong either way. It seemed like the first half of the race, I couldn’t do anything right, and I was just mired back in the pack, and then these boys got the DeWalt Camry tuned up. They got it going really well where I could drive it hard. The DeWalt Camry was fastest when it needed to be at the end.”

What momentum does this give your team?

“We are just getting started. We are going to our bread-and-butter next week. I’m super excited about it.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race?

“I’m not sure where we officially got scored, but looks like p10. Solid day. Really proud of Hayden (Reeves, spotter), he worked hard today. Way more intense than Daytona. Hats off to all of the men and women at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Road crew, pit crew – everyone did a solid job all day. We were able to keep it straight all day and salvaged another top-10. Two really good runs to start the season and looking forward to COTA next week.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 SAIA LTL Freight Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 32nd

Can you tell us what happened?
“I think I just got really squeezed there. I feel like I was in position to run three wide and make up some positions that I lost. I don’t know. I haven’t seen a replay. I feel like I got squeezed there.”

How was it before the incident?

“Before I got wrecked, I felt like our SAIA Camry was really good. I felt like I could make really good charges and my balance was good. I felt like we were really fast, and I could charge through the field and make really good passes.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
FEBRUARY 23, 2025

Hocevar Leads Chevrolet with Runner-Up Result At Atlanta Motor Speedway

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd – Carson Hocevar
3rd – Kyle Larson
5th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
7th – Kyle Busch
8th – Ross Chastain

• In yet another photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar led Chevrolet to the checkered-flag in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Ambetter Health 400 – driving his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to a runner-up result.
• Kyle Larson earned his career best superspeedway finish in NASCAR’s top division – tallying a third-place result in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
• Larson delivered Chevrolet its first stage win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. After a 17th place finish in Stage One, Larson progressively maneuvered his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet towards the front of the pack throughout the stage – ultimately taking the lead on the final lap to earn his first career superspeedway stage win.
• Michael McDowell and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team endured a power steering issue during the early laps of race. Making quick repairs to return to the track six laps down, the No. 71 Chevrolet team collected a record-tying six-straight free passes to rejoin the lead lap in the final stage – ultimately taking the checkered-flag for a 13th-place finish.

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Circuit of The Americas with the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday, March 2, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 8th

“To qualify 33rd and drive through the field – I made some bad decisions throughout the race. The car was good enough in traffic to keep cycling forward. Great call by Phil Surgen (crew chief) there at the beginning of the final stage to come and get four tires. I was definitely second guessing that in the moment, but it was definitely the right call. So I am glad he is the one making the calls on the No. 1 Moose Chevrolet.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 3rd

“I think if I didn’t let the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) get to my outside, I would have had an opportunity, but he would probably split to my inside into (turn) one and clear me. If I don’t hesitate, the wreck probably doesn’t happen. So yeah, I don’t know.. I haven’t seen a replay yet. But yeah, bummer not to get a win. I’m proud of the effort today by this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team. We had a lot of fun. It was super intense. It was my first legit finish here at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the reconfiguration, so I’ll take it. I feel like we learned a lot and I feel like we can be a lot better with the balance of our racecar to be a little bit more on offense while we are in traffic. We just came up a little bit short. Congratulations to Bell. Thank you to HENDRICKCARS.COM, Chevrolet and all the Chevy partner teams, too. It’s been a good night, just wish we could have been a couple spots better.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 7th

“It was a better finish than I thought we were going to get tonight. There were a lot of crashed cars there too, so we kind of cycled our way forward a little bit with some guys that wrecked out. Overall, the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy had really good speed, I just had a really hard time opening it up. When I got back in traffic, worse than third in line, I just really had to lift out of the throttle a lot and that was holding me up and holding my lane up. Not a lot of guys were willing to deal with that and have the patience for that, so it kind of shucked us back there a few times. But we were able to rally and get what we could for our Cheddar’s Chevrolet. Just wish we were closer to the front for the end, but that’s where all the wrecks were happening too, so maybe not.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Finished:

“Hard fight all night, just struggled with balance overall. Then when you get back there in traffic, it’s hard to make the right moves. I definitely need to be a little bit better making the right moves. I’m proud of the guys; we made a lot of changes to make the car as good as we could. We salvaged a decent finish there at the end, but we need to be a little bit better overall.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 5th

“It was an up-and-down day for the No. 47 Chevy team. We were at the back. We were at the front. We got some stage points. All-in-all, our Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls Chevy was really, really good. I could go anywhere I wanted to on the race track. I thought we had a shot at the end. I was bummed.. I wanted the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) or us to win. I thought my only shot was to push the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) as hard as I could, which I did. And then I was hoping to get to the outside of the No. 20 in (turns) one and two, but somebody got me in the fence down the frontstretch, and then we were just trying to hold on for a top-five. Our car was really good and I had a lot of fun today.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 13th

“That was an eventful day for the No. 71 Group 1001 Chevy team. We had an issue early on with the power steering pump. We actually lost the hose; came in the garage and went down seven laps. We got all of our laps back, nothing short of miraculous, and capitalized there at the end. So thankful to get a good finish, given that it could have been a disaster there. Really proud of Carson (Hocevar). He had a great race. I didn’t see the ending of it, but I know he was up front racing for the win all night long. Really proud of Spire Motorsports for bringing fast Chevy’s. We got some good notes for us for when we come back here. I’m proud of my team and their effort – just grinding through it, getting laps back, fixing a mechanical issue and never giving up. That’s what it’s all about.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 2nd

CAREER BEST FINISH FOR YOU, BUT I HAVE TO ASK YOU — THERE WAS A LONG LINE OF DRIVERS HERE TO TALK TO YOU. RYAN BLANEY, ROSS CHASTAIN, VERY AGGRESSIVE RACE OUT THERE, WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY?

“I will just leave those to myself. But first off, apologies to (Kyle) Larson, HMS, Mr. H and everybody. They help us out a lot and I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line. The last two nights were kind of that way, and I hit the No. 20 to get him out of the way and filled the middle. A little bit longer and maybe we win the race. But big thanks to Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet and Delaware Life. I normally ride in the back and run last, so I was just trying to get a good, decent finish. For how bad we were at Daytona, I was not riding. But yeah, there is some stuff I have to learn and clean up a little bit, but I feel like we put ourselves in the perfect opportunity to win the race. I have never had that opportunity really before, especially on a big superspeedway. So just big thanks to Spire Motorsports. They deserve all the praise, and I just get to hold the wheel, run wide open and try to put myself in a decent spot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best spot but was just one spot short.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage.

Finished: 33rd

What was your take on the accident that ultimately ended your day early? It seemed like it went three-wide pretty quickly..

“Yeah, I mean it was quickly, definitely, but the No. 54 (Ty Gibbs) was there. He was in the middle, and I didn’t know he was in the middle. That’s on me and my spotter. I think we have to do a better job in those situations. It’s part of it. I think that, overall, we just put ourselves in very bad situations throughout the race. We were not fast enough. The No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy wasn’t handling the way I was hoping it would. Normally our speed is good and our handling is great, and that’s how we’ve been successful here. Today, that just wasn’t the case. We have to go through everything and see what we can do better for next time.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ambetter Health 400 | Sunday, February 23, 2025

Ford Finishing Order:

4th – Ryan Blaney
11th – Zane Smith
12th – Joey Logano
15th – Todd Gilliland
18th – Ryan Preece
25th – Josh Berry
28th – Austin Cindric
30th – Chris Buescher
34th – Noah Gragson
35th – Cody Ware
36th – Cole Custer
38th – Corey LaJoie
39th – Brad Keselowski

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was unfortunate. As a team, as Fords, we had the best cars here this weekend. We put ourselves into position to win the race and got used up and into the fence and didn’t win the race. It’s a shame. Two weeks in a row I feel like we have had the car to beat and haven’t done it. One way or another it is disappointing.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a good comeback. I just fell back from getting spun there and I was able to pick our way through and ended up scrounging a good finish out of it, so not a bad recovery.”

YOU SLOWED AND THEN GOT HIT BY THE 77. WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? “I wasn’t slowing. He was drafting to me and he didn’t lift and just gave me a shot when I’m turning into one and it spun me out. I was just happy I didn’t hook a right back into everybody and was able to stay on the apron.”

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE RESULT? “I’m happy with the result after being spun with 20 to go, so a decent comeback.”

YOU GOT BACK TO THE FRONT TOWARDS THE END. HOW WAS YOUR DAY? “It was a little bit of a struggle getting to the front after I lost some track position in the first and second stage, and then we got spun when I finally got track position by the 77 and we were able to make it back up and run forward, so it was an up and down day, that’s for sure. I’m happy we were able to make a recovery.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a really fast car. We saw yesterday that all of our cars were fast. We were able to stay aggressive, stay on the offense, stay up front. I feel that I am in a situation now where I can succeed. We tried to make the most of it there, but we obviously didn’t get the finish that we deserved. It was just crazy. Honestly, it was a lot of fun, but it was just crazy. A lot of aggressive moves racing there at the end. The [number] 77 threw the [number] 1 out of line and I kind of pushed him through the middle and then we just got squeezed together once into [turn] one and then again off of [turn] two. We all just ran out of room there. It’s just disappointing. I have to go back and look to see if there is something I could have done better. I mean, what’s the use of wrecking for eighth or whatever? I hate that we didn’t get the finish we deserved.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was just challenging all day. We had a really fast car and when we were up front we could control it really well. When we had a couple Fords up front it was domination and then when I got in the back I didn’t handle good enough. It just cost us too much back there and I couldn’t move my way back up. Every time I got a gap it just wasn’t good enough to get back up there handling-wise, so the car was fast but we just needed more steering.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Somebody got into the 9 car and put him into the fence off of turn four. I saw it and lifted for that but he seemed to regroup and was fine. As soon as I went to take off again he blew a right rear rear or broke a toe link and hooked left right in front of us. So, we hit him trying not to hit him and broke a radiator. That was the end of our day. The racing is definitely intense. It is actually phenomenal racing. Just wish we would have gotten up front.”

COREY LAJOIE, No. 01 AirMedCare Network Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “There is nothing to get your heart rate up in a race car more than this. You can talk about restarts at Dover where it is really hectic and stuff is happening at lightning speed but at Atlanta you have to be so precise and so instinctive with the moves that you make. We were making our way forward. I thought we got our car driving good after the first pit stop and broke into that top 20 bubble where you can get some fresh air, some clean air, on occasion. That is when you can really maneuver. And we got there. We also got there with a pretty decent strategy to get into the top ten.”

ABOUT THE INCIDENT “Everyone was sort of gummed up and I was just in line pushing. I got by him [number 9] and the next thing I know he caught me in the right rear somehow.”

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 4 TitleMax Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I saw the 99 get turned through the trioval and I don’t know if he was coming back up or if I clipped him with the left-rear, but I had a lot of left-rear damage and couldn’t continue.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 41 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “That was really big. I’m just thankful for everybody at our shop. It was a lot of work they had to do this offseason, but they took the time and made all the seat stuff right. Everybody did a great job on our interior stuff, so happy that we’re all OK, but I’m just disappointed. I hate it for 3D Systems and everybody at the shop. We struggled a little bit, but to get caught up in a wreck just stinks.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE? “I just saw the 99 come up the track and from there I clipped him and went straight head on into the wall. I don’t know what started it.”

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE TRADITIONAL NASCAR RACING? “It will be nice to get off the superspeedways for a little bit and get to a road course and then to normal racetracks.”

CODY WARE, No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I honestly have no idea. I know the 99 was spinning out ahead of us. It felt like we slowed down. I’m not sure if we got hit from behind, but the next thing I know I’m in the outside wall. It’s just another frustrating weekend of superspeedway style racing for the 51 Arby’s team this week.”

Heim Set to Compete in Multiple Cup Series Races with 23XI and Xfinity Series Races with Sam Hunt Racing

Atlanta, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2025) – 23XI Racing announced today that Corey Heim has signed a multi-year deal to join the team as 23XI’s first development driver. The 22-year-old, who will continue as part of the Toyota Driver Development Program (TD2), will also race in multiple events throughout the season in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. A 12-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and winner of the season-opening event at Daytona, Heim will also continue to serve as 23XI’s reserve driver.

Heim, who raced with 23XI last season at Nashville Superspeedway, will run multiple Cup Series races behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, with veteran crew chief Bootie Barker set to lead the team. Heim is set to make his first Cup Series start of the season in May at Kansas Speedway, where he raced last spring while filling in for Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota Camry.

Additionally, as part of his development process, Heim will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in a Toyota GR Supra supported by 23XI. Last season, Heim competed in 13 races with SHR and has 17 total starts in the Xfinity Series, earning three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Heim’s first race with SHR will be at Circuit of the Americas, where he will compete in his first road course event in the Xfinity Series.

“It’s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I’m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year. I’m blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes,” said Heim. “The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and I’m excited to learn from the organization. I’m also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.”

“Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025,” said Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing. “Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to have Corey back with us at SHR this year, working alongside 23XI on his professional development,” said Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing. “Corey has become like a little brother to me — we understand each other’s journeys, and he genuinely cares about the growth and success of SHR long-term. We have had some very strong performances together in the past, so we are looking to continue maximizing our resources and flexing strength as we chase that first organizational win and develop Corey as a Sunday driver.”

While Heim will run several races with 23XI and SHR, TRICON will continue to be his primary home for the third straight season, where he drives the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. His performance has been impressive in the NASCAR Truck Series, including twelve wins and 33 top-five finishes. Heim, the 2023 Regular Season champion, is the youngest driver in Truck Series history to earn 10 wins, and has made back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4 the last two seasons.

Heim will also continue to be a valued part of the TD2 program, which has helped support drivers achieve their dreams of earning full-time NASCAR Cup Series rides. TRD takes an active role in each TD2 driver’s development to help them achieve their goals of long-term success in motorsport. The mutual long-term commitment allows TRD to provide additional opportunities on and off the track to encourage and support their personal development.

“Corey continues to impress on-track with his racing acumen and talent behind the wheel and also continues to work hard behind the scenes with TRD partners, at TPC, and on the simulator,” said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD U.S.A. “We are pleased to have a robust schedule in place for Corey this year and know that he will take advantage of every opportunity to continue to grow as a race car driver. Everyone at TRD looks forward to a long tenure with Corey as we support him in reaching his ultimate goals in NASCAR competition.”

About 23XI Racing

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry. With a win at Kansas Speedway in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team’s first-ever playoff berth. In 2024, Tyler Reddick won the Regular Season Championship and raced to a spot in the Championship 4, a first for both the team and Reddick. 23XI currently features the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota Camry, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota Camry and Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota Camry. The team operates out of Airspeed, a state-of-the-art facility in Huntersville, N.C. that opened in January of 2024.