“I Literally Couldn’t Walk”: When Filling In for Kyle Busch Led to Misery for Corey Heim

Corey Heim, who currently holds the top spot in the NASCAR Truck Series standings, has steadily climbed the ranks after finishing fourth and second in the past two seasons. Despite being just 23, the rising star hasn’t been immune to the physical toll that comes with life behind the wheel. But his most grueling moment in the cockpit wasn’t heat exhaustion or illness; it was a battle with discomfort of an entirely different kind.

In a candid revelation during the “12 Questions” segment with Jeff Gluck for The Athletic, Heim recounted a brutal experience from 2021 at Watkins Glen, describing it as the most miserable stint of his young career. Filling in for Kyle Busch at Kyle Busch Motorsports, Heim found himself wedged into a seat molded for Busch’s uniquely compact seating style.

“In 2021 at Watkins Glen, I had to run Kyle Busch’s shell (for the seat at Kyle Busch Motorsports). Kyle sits really strangely; he’s very low, and his legs are like cramped up into his chest.”

“That’s like the opposite of what I need, because I get a lot of hip cramping, so I need my legs to be really straight out so they’re not clenched the whole time. It was my second-ever Truck start, and I was so uncomfortable.”

“By the middle of Stage 2, my hips cramped up on me. I literally couldn’t walk when I got out of the truck. My guys had to carry me by both shoulders back to the hauler, and they were giving me cramping pills,” he continued.

Starting that race from 16th, Heim could only muscle his way to an 18th-place finish behind the wheel of Busch’s #51 Toyota. It was a painful day at the office, but one that added another hard-earned lesson to his growing playbook.

Heim breaks the record of Kyle Busch

While Heim may have endured a rough patch in the Kyle Busch Motorsports seat, he didn’t let that setback keep him down for long. The following season, he bounced back in style, grabbing wins at Atlanta and Gateway and wrapping up the year 14th in points before making the switch to Tricon Garage’s No. 11 ride.

This year, Heim has come out swinging. With five wins already on the board and only two finishes outside the top 20, he’s made his presence felt. His Texas win (14th career Truck Series win) marked a major milestone. At just 22, he leapfrogged Busch, who reached the same mark at 24, to become the youngest driver ever to notch 14 victories in series history.

In his 15 starts this season, Heim has secured three pole positions, racked up nine top-five finishes, and crossed the line inside the top 10 on eleven occasions.