“He’s [Gibbs] probably mad because he lost like he usually is,” Corey Heim had said in 2021 about Ty Gibbs in what was probably ARCA’s biggest rivalry back then. As the two racers battled out for a top spot, they head-butted each other on at least three out of 20 occasions. Their animosity reached a boiling point at Winchester Speedway when Gibbs dumped Heim for the win.

While that might seem like just another regular feud, it seems to be taking a toll on Heim’s career. The rising star in the Truck Series and top Toyota prospect is gunning for the championship, but his worsened relations with Gibbs might be holding him back…

Is past beef getting in Corey Heim’s way?

In NASCAR, many boiling rivalries have sprung up, only to make way for bountiful bonds. For instance, Richard Childress delivered a fistful to Kyle Busch in 2011—currently, the latter drives for Childress’ team. Then Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace also got off to a bad start but now work closely together in the same team. Yet Corey Heim and Ty Gibbs’ bitter rivalry is not seeing any end, extending to Gibbs’ team Joe Gibbs Racing—an example of which we recently saw at Atlanta.

For the unversed: In the Xfinity race on Sep. 7, RCR’s Austin Hill was in a battle for victory with Toyota teammates, JGR’s Chandler Smith and Sam Hunt Racing’s Heim. As Smith moved up alongside Hill, Heim was expected to push the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, helping him secure victory. What happened instead was Heim pushed Hill, helping him garner his ninth win as an Xfinity driver, and fourth at Atlanta. However, the antic didn’t help the #26 driver either as he clipped the outside wall and ended P5 just behind Smith—who appeared at the betrayal.

In a post-race conversation, the JGR driver said, “Yeah (I’m surprised), we’re Toyota teammates…I expected my Toyota teammate to come with me and that didn’t happen. It is what it is.” Heim, on the other hand, had a crystal clear motive for the breach of trust: “He had no run or no momentum so why go to the bottom of that point? I came here to win the race.” This certainly isn’t going to bode well for the JGR head honchos, with them looking for ways to retaliate. Or have they already done that?

Well, NASCAR insider Eric Estepp certainly pointed out the latter. But before we get to that…

Let’s talk about Heim’s Craft Series competitors. Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez—with two Truck series and zero Xfinity series wins—will be racing full-time in NASCAR’s second tourney from next-season with Big Machine Racing. Daniel Dye (devoid of any wins in Truck or Xfinity) and Christian Eckes (eight wins in Truck Series) are moving to a full-time Xfinity schedules with Kaulig Racing in 2025. But what about Heim—a talented driver who’s secured 10 wins, six poles and 41 Top-10s in the Truck Series?

Estepp outlined the possible reason: “He has done everything on the racetrack to earn a full-time Xfinity seat. It still hasn’t come to fruition. Many speculate that there’s tension between Heim and the folks at Joe Gibbs Racing. Heim and Ty Gibbs went back and forth during their ARCA Menards Series days.”

The YouTuber also mentioned Heim’s altercation with Smith at Atlanta and painted a scary scenario halting the young driver’s potential. “I don’t think it’s all just rumblings. I think there is real animosity there and if that’s the case, I hope both sides can patch things up. Like it’s a bit silly that Toyota’s top prospect, if you ask me, is like blocked from Toyota’s top Cup Series team or even Xfinity series.” 

If you think about it, Denny Hamlin’s 23 XI Racing is also a Toyota team but didn’t the #11 JGR driver just support Heim? Yes, things are at a standstill, but it’s not like Heim is at his career’s end. There are actually a lot of suitors who recognize his talent.

Heim has other Toyota prospects

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Corey Heim is not completely invisible on Toyota’s Cup Series radar. This year, he already made two starts under the Japanese automotive brand at NASCAR’s top level. When Erik Jones suffered a compression fracture in April, Heim substituted for him at Dover under Legacy Motor Club. But his stint at Nashville under 23XI Racing was the most significant. Although he could not finish better than 29th, he drummed up a lot of faith in his driving skills. Although 23XI Racing’s current charter prospects look dim as ever, Heim earned the trust of the team’s executives.

Denny Hamlin was not the only one to proclaim interest in Heim. Steve Lauletta, 23XI Racing president, generously remarked on Heim being the top Toyota prospect in NASCAR at the moment. “Corey is undoubtedly an up-and-coming star, and we look forward to working with him as he prepares to race at Nashville. Mobil 1 has a history of working with some of the best young talent in racing, and I can’t think of a better person than Corey to drive the No. 50 Toyota at Nashville.”

Yet with NASCAR and 23XI at loggerheads over the charter deal, Corey Heim’s future is dark. So either that will need to work out or Heim must defuse the tension with Joe Gibbs.