Corey Heim Wins Brickyard 400 for 23XI Racing

Corey Heim won the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26, holding off Christopher Bell and Joey Logano in the closing laps to deliver a second career NASCAR Cup Series victory for 23XI Racing's No. 67 Toyota operation.

Heim's Team and His Role at 23XI

Heim races as the development driver for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who has won the Daytona 500 three times (2016, 2019, 2020). Heim competes in the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE on a scheduled part-time basis rather than the full Cup slate.

The structure was planned that way from the start. When 23XI announced Heim's 2026 programme in February, Hamlin laid out the long-term intent plainly: "We know the future is really bright for Corey, and we're working with him to ensure that he is as prepared as possible when his time comes to race full time."

That timetable has compressed considerably.

From Development Driver to Brickyard Winner

Heim joined 23XI as the team's first-ever development driver in 2025, running just five Cup races while simultaneously winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. For 2026, 23XI nearly tripled his schedule to 12 Cup appearances, covering a mix of track types from Daytona to Darlington, with Indianapolis listed specifically as a July 26 target date.

Sunday delivered on that date exactly. Heim started seventh, led a race-high 58 laps, and crossed the line 0.287 seconds ahead of Bell after 160 laps around the 2.5-mile speedway. It was his second Cup win in as many months his first came at Naval Base Coronado in June, where he claimed his maiden Cup checkered flag.

The decisive move came on a Lap 119 restart. According to NASCAR's official race recap, Heim drove past Denny Hamlin his own team co-owner into Turn 1 and blocked the No. 11 in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2, opening clear air ahead. He did not relinquish the lead.

The Hocevar Incident

Indianapolis added another chapter to the running on-track feud between Heim and Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports. During Stage 2, Heim held the lead while most of the field pitted, trapping Hocevar a lap down. When Hocevar came off pit road alongside him on fresh tyres, Heim threw a block. As Heim subsequently pitted, Hocevar drove close to the No. 67 and made a one-finger gesture out the window.

Hocevar finished ninth. Heim won the race.

The Result in Full

Bell crossed second for his sixth runner-up finish of the 2026 season, with Logano third and Chase Briscoe fourth. Hamlin completed the top five, while Brad Keselowski, Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, Carson Hocevar, and Tyler Reddick Heim's full-time 23XI Racing teammate rounded out the top 10.

Kyle Larson, who entered the race sixth in points, had his day end early when a tyre went down on Lap 45, sending him into the wall.

Heim's Role at 23XI

He is not a replacement for any full-time driver. The team fields the No. 23 for Bubba Wallace, the No. 45 for Tyler Reddick, and the No. 35 for Riley Herbst. The No. 67 is Heim's part-time entry, crewed by veteran crew chief Bootie Barker, who has worked with Heim for all his Cup starts at the organisation.

Dave Rogers, 23XI's Senior Director of Competition, described Heim's contribution in concrete terms ahead of the season: "He has not only been a great student but has also provided valuable feedback to our team that has helped us grow." The Indianapolis result gives the team its most direct data point yet two wins from a part-time programme operating at crown-jewel tracks.

Heim has Truck Series wins at five of the 10 Cup tracks on his 2026 schedule, giving him prior knowledge of the circuits rather than arriving cold. Three playoff-round starts still remain on his calendar: Daytona, Darlington, and the season finale at Homestead-Miami on November 8.

Looking Ahead

The Cup Series takes a week off before heading to Iowa Speedway on August 9, where Heim is not scheduled to race under the current 23XI programme. His next confirmed Cup start falls at Daytona on August 29.

For the series as a whole, the Brickyard result tightens the playoff picture with four regular-season rounds remaining before the Chase field is locked. Bell's second-place finish was his sixth runner-up of the year six top-twos without a victory is a number his team will need to address before the Chase begins.

Heim, by contrast, has two wins from eight 2026 starts. That conversion rate, from a development driver on a part-time programme, is what will shape 23XI's long-term planning discussions when the season ends.