AVONDALE, Ariz. — Twenty-one-year-old Corey Heim is chasing his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship during Friday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Heim won three races aboard the TRICON Toyota this season and will battle Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger for the championship at the one-mile race track.
Heim met the media on Thursday and said following a plan will be important for his team to contend for the title.
“I think we go in with a plan every week, but with this being such a big show, the pressure is on to make sure we execute that extra little bit,” Heim said. “Our flat track program – as far as a Gateway and Milwaukee-style race tracks – this year has been okay, we could have gotten a little bit better.
“We have really gone the extra mile these last couple of weeks to make sure we’ve gone back and looked at data with our Toyota Racing people and everyone at TRICON as far as the engineering department, to really make sure we’ve done everything we can to execute on this flat one-mile race track.”
Heim, who started his career in Legend cars and worked his way through late models and the ARCA Menards Series, is in his first full season in the Truck Series.
“A little over a year ago, we announced our plans to start TRICON Garage with Toyota Racing,” Heim said. “Everything was kind of up in the air as far as would it be successful? How long would it take? Within a couple of months, we were already winning races.
“To be able to really have a true offseason, to really think about it and build on the data that we’ve found this year would be super special to be able to go the extra mile and win more races next year,” Heim added. “I feel like last offseason, we were just trying to get all of the variables, and just get to the race track, now we’ve got everything under us that we need – all of the equipment, all of the data – so next year will be special for sure.”
Heim will return to the team next season.
Heim has had a good learning experience while managing to contend for the championship.
“I feel like just this past year – if you would say one year ago today – I’ve made more progress in one year, than I have in my entire career,” Heim said. “Just being able to spend time with Scott Zipadelli, a championship winning crew chief, and Tony Hirschman, a championship winning spotter – just all of the pieces were there for me, and it was just about blending that whole team and getting our feet under us.
“I really feel like my development has been big this year with TRICON Garage and look forward to making that better next year.”
Heim credits Toyota and drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Christopher Bell for helping him improve over the course of the season.
“Just a little bit of the people around the Toyota Performance Center is the main thing, like John Hunter (Nemechek) and Christopher Bell, to name a few,” Heim said. “I feel like they’ve had championship experience in the past and being able to kind of pick their brains on it. They’ve got so much experience in the sport alone, but also that championship mentality, as well.
“They’ve won championships in their past, so to be able to kind of understand their mental side for a person that is in their first full-time year is kind of tough to understand, but by the day, I feel like I learn more and more.”