NASCAR’s newest Cup Series winner is on an upward trajectory, and with a full-time ride ready in 2027, everything is in place for Corey Heim to have a successful Cup career. 

But before 23XI signed him, Heim had a long journey filled with ups and downs. Today, Heim is an inspirational figure to youngsters who want to get behind the wheel. 

Attending several interviews after winning the San Diego race, Heim recently also appeared on the Rubbin’ Is Racing podcast. The hosts asked Heim what advice he had for the kids who don’t have a fortune behind them. 

“For me, the number one thing has always just been surrounding myself with the right people,” Heim replied on the podcast.

Heim then delved into how he got an opportunity with a successful ARCA team, but didn’t feel like it was the right place to grow for him. While he didn’t mention the name, Heim could likely be referring to Chad Bryant Racing. Heim then said that it was the move to Venturini Motorsports in 2020 that helped. 

Heim shifted to the Toyota team, and through that, he became a part of the pipeline. He said it was a risky call to leave a successful team, but he needed to feel he had the right people around him, so the move paid off. 

The 2025 Truck champion said that he had trusted his gut, which paid off as he progressed through the ranks from ARCA to the Cup Series. While he emphasized that loyalty is a big aspect in the sport, he still mentioned it's equally important to be with the right people.

Elaborating on his advice, he added, “If you just have a feeling that you’re not in the right sport or the people aren’t treating you the right way, or just don’t want you to succeed, you got to go with your gut and make that switch.”

But Heim's success is not his alone. His crew chief has also played a big role in it.

Heim on Crew Chief Bootie Barker’s influence

Heim’s crew chief, Bootie Barker, has partnered with him for every race he’s driven for 23XI. Heim was asked about the impact Barker had had on him after Barker gave up being Bubba Wallace’s full-time crew chief at the end of 2024.

On the same podcast, Heim said, “He’s awesome…He’s the most fired-up, motivated guy you’ve ever met in your life. I mean, this guy wants to succeed. He wants to work hard. He does more than just a crew chief. ”

While Heim was excited to see how happy everyone at 23XI was to see Barker celebrating in San Diego, he also revealed that Barker plays a crucial role in keeping his mind in the right place and filled with confidence despite mistakes. 

Heim said, “He gives me so much credit it’s almost funny. It’s almost like I can do no wrong in his eyes. There’s been so many times this year where I’ve taken the team out of it or just done something stupid. And he’s just always like, hey man, you’re doing everything right. Just keep your head in the whole nine yards. And I feel like he keeps my confidence up pretty good.”

Barker's intelligence was seen in the San Diego race as well, where he chose to calmly guide a stressful Heim when he was struggling.

“Bootie kept telling me these were our worst two sets of tire, we were going to be fine,” Heim said, as reported by Autoweek. “He was right.”

Heim is probably in the best state of mind he could be in, with his first Cup win under his belt before his first full season in the Cup Series. What are your thoughts on his advice for youngsters?

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason