Did You Notice? … Corey Heim has had a meteoric rise to respectability since last year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title slipped through his fingers?
We’re just a little over eight months removed from one of the more awkward Truck Series title races in recent history at Phoenix Raceway. Heim was ahead of Carson Hocevar at a critical point in the event, tops among the Championship 4 contenders before contact from Hocevar sent his truck spinning out of contention.
Heim eventually got Hocevar back, both bids ruined as Ben Rhodes skated away with a second title. An angry Heim vented some frustration after the race while his rival? He got rewarded with a full-time Cup promotion.
“[Hocevar] obviously screwed up,” Heim said at the time. “Just wrecked me … it is what it is.”
Three months is a long time to sit with that anger and disappointment. Would Heim get stuck in that anger or use adversity as fuel to emerge better off?
As we head toward the end of the Truck Series regular season, I think we have our answer. Heim has risen above the fray to stand out among a rising crop of young talent, the leader in the clubhouse during the Olympic break as NASCAR’s rising stars start plotting their ascensions for 2025 and beyond.
Just a note before we begin: It’s hard to consider Shane van Gisbergen a prospect when he already has a win on the Cup level. So I’m establishing some criteria for our list: no career Cup wins, no full-time seasons ever in Cup, no championships in another top-tier series (like IndyCar or Formula One).
Top NASCAR Prospects As Of July 2024
1. Corey Heim
Heim has been on fire in Trucks, winning a series-high five races in 15 starts. During a stretch of May and June, he led the most laps in five straight Truck races; it’s the first time that’s happened in at least 23 years. Heim’s 31 playoff points lead the series, and he sits second in the regular season points chase to Christian Eckes.
Heim’s success has been noticed already, filling it admirably for an injured Erik Jones while making his NASCAR Cup Series debut with Legacy Motor Club. At Nashville Superspeedway in June, a different set of circumstances could have seen him glide into a top-10 finish with 23XI Racing’s third Toyota. (Instead, a late-race crash during that million-overtime ending left him 29th).
The 23XI ride, should it become full-time, is…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …