With the way Corey Heim raced and won this weekend at Darlington, you’d wonder if he is a racer for one of the big three teams. However, reality is much harsher for him and his fans. The entire community is struggling to find the answer as to why he doesn’t have a full-time Cup seat yet. As such, FOX reporter Bob Pockrass has come forward to clarify their concerns about his future, which was rumored to be linked to Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club.
Corey Heim won’t be going to Legacy Motor Club
When a fan suggested that Heim would be a great option for LMC, Pockrass dropped a harsh reality check about the same. “Legacy doesn’t see itself as a training ground for a driver to go to 23XI Racing.” His response is based on Corey Heim’s intentions to work with 23XI Racing for 2027.
“Heim opted a couple years ago to sign with 23XI and is banking that it will have a full-time Cup ride for him in 2027. Other top teams were relatively full at the time, and it appeared other teams didn’t want to put him in a car for a year or two only to have him leave for 23XI,” said Pockrass.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, a full-time ride is basically the only way a driver can train themselves. The lack of practice sessions leaves them with restricted opportunities to improve their performance. So when a team brings new talent to its roster, they want to be sure of their loyalty.
Legacy doesn’t see itself as a training ground for a driver to go to 23XI Racing.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 21, 2026
If Heim were to join a team for two or three years, only for him to switch to 23XI Racing in 2027—when he finally got the hang of racing in Cup cars—it would be a huge disaster for the team that decided to nurture him in the early years. They would lose a lot in terms of time and resources spent training Heim.
While it is unfair that he doesn’t have a full-time seat yet, the other teams are not willing to risk their resources only for Heim to leave them midway. In a way, his commitment to Denny Hamlin is also holding him back from earning a full-time ride in the Cup Series.
But what about Denny Hamlin? He has already provided Heim with a part-time seat. Why can’t he give him a full-time ride?
Denny Hamlin and Co. unsure about fourth charter
The lawsuit win against the France family gave Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin a really useful payout. It gives enough financial options for bringing in a fourth charter.
And for the fans who are wondering if 23XI Racing will bring in a fourth charter for Heim. “23XI could run a fourth full-time car. But with the lawsuit, they weren’t sure how many charters they’d have this year, so they couldn’t plan on having four full-time open cars.
“They wouldn’t want their own drivers battling each other for spots in the field if they were all open.” So 23XI Racing is also in a rather sensitive situation. Their three drivers are doing relatively well. Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace lead the drivers’ championship as their best bet this year.
Meanwhile, Riley Herbst has the backing of Denny Hamlin, and the chances of him getting replaced are not as high as fans might think. Additionally, running a fourth charter for a team without loads of sponsors is a heavy burden. Even the likes of Jordan and Hamlin can’t manage that.
For now, Corey Heim’s NASCAR future is in limbo, and none of the entities involved might release a statement anytime soon.
