Coming off his first Championship 4 appearance, Team Toyota driver Corey Heim is one to watch in this year’s Truck Series.

After a breakout 2023 season, which included three wins and a place in the championship, Heim is setting his sights on the 2024 NASCAR® Truck Series title. Following three seasons with Team Toyota, the 22-year-old is poised to continue his rise in the world of NASCAR.

Heim drives the No. 11 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage. In addition to his Truck Series races, the Georgia native is also running select races in the xfinity® Series, driving the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Heim also serves as a reserve driver in the Cup Series.

A New Era
TRICON Garage was formed at the start of the 2023 season, when David Gilliland Racing rebranded and made Toyota the team’s primary manufacturer. Operations are led by legacy owner David Gilliland and Heim, a rising star in the TRD program and a natural fit to join the team.

“It will be my first full-time year here in the Truck Series, but I feel like I’ve made enough starts to really carry a lot of momentum into 2023 with TRICON and TRD,” Heim said last year. “I really want to get the ball rolling right away and hopefully go for some wins and compete for the championship. I’m just super thankful for everyone at Toyota, TRD and TRICON for this opportunity.”

So far, he’s done just that. The driver scored his first victory of the 2023 season at Martinsville Speedway, where he led 82 of the 124 laps. Heim’s win was also the first victory for TRICON, just seven races into their new endeavor with Toyota Racing. It marked a significant achievement for TRICON as the garage continues to establish its presence in a competitive NASCAR landscape.

“I just can’t thank David Gilliland, Kevin Ray, Johnny Gray, and the Gray family for everything they do and how much work they have put in these last few weeks – countless hours in the shop,” Heim said. “My 11 crew – I can’t ask for a better group of guys. Toyota Racing, Safelite®, TRICON Garage, everyone at the shop – just a huge thank you.”

Building a Career
In July, Heim saw his second win of the Truck Series season, leading 31 laps for his first road course victory at the Mid-Ohio Sports Course.

“We came up here with high expectations — I felt like I did a good job to stay up front last year, but I put in the work to go from a third-place truck to a winning truck,” he said at the time. “This truck was really good ever since we unloaded. We were the fastest truck in practice, qualified on the poll and came here and won the race.”

With a win at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, Heim locked his spot in the Championship 4. He took the lead with six laps to go, hanging on to win his third race of the 2023 season and his first at Bristol. He became the youngest driver in NASCAR® history with 13 consecutive top 10 finishes.

“Teamwork is everything,” Heim said. “Huge thank you to TRICON Garage, Toyota Racing, Safelite® — this is insane. I feel like I’ve given so many away this year, and to win one at the end like that is so special. To win one like that is unreal.”