Corey Heim has been having a historic season in the Craftsman Truck Series this year. He has won seven of the eighteen regular-season races and heads into the postseason as a strong favorite for the championship. During the playoff media day, he spoke to the press about the changes that he has seen in the series from 2023 to now.
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The 2023 season was a particularly remarkable one for the low standards of racing ethics that drivers displayed. It was also when Heim reached the Championship 4 for the first time in his career. He noted that the aggression and the energy in the field are a lot more channeled now, and that drivers don’t commit as egregious mistakes as they did back then.
“I’ve had my run-ins with people this year, but nothing super egregious,” Heim explained. “I feel like in 2023, there was a lot of maybe penalties that should’ve been handed out and penalties that were handed out. I’m looking at myself here in the mirror and that’s one of them. I’m not excused from the craziness of that year by any means, but I feel like overall the aggression is more coordinated, I guess.”
The 2023 season was marred by multiple chaotic and low-quality races. For instance, the championship finale in Phoenix included four overtime restarts, crazy wrecks, and a delayed finish. It received strongly negative feedback from fans. Texas and Bristol produced similar events as well. Fortunately, there is a lot more intelligence in the field today.
How has Heim improved as a driver from 2023 to now?
The 23-year-old finished the 2023 season in fourth place, driving his first season for Tricon Garage. He is now in his third season with the team and has set new benchmarks in performance. He believes that his current level of command comes from understanding what he needs out of his truck every weekend.
Heim also pointed out how there was a lot of uncertainty in Tricon Garage in 2023, with a new manufacturer and rebranded equipment. It had all taken some getting used to. He continued, “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more confident in myself and comfortable in my equipment.
“Any extra reps and seat time is super important, and I feel like with these two seasons in my back pocket, it’s really helped me just find that comfort with my crew and also have basically the same roster of people on this 11 team for the last two years so everyone is just more comfortable with each other and more confident.”
Heim will next race at Darlington on August 30.
