Denny Hamlin insists decision to sideline NASCAR star was 'part of the plan'
Denny Hamlin insists decision to sideline NASCAR star was 'part of the plan'
Jarrod Castillo Thu, June 4, 2026 at 8:23 PM UTC
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NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 - Practice
Denny Hamlin explained the decision to hold back Corey Heim from receiving a full-time job (Image: Getty)
Denny Hamlin admitted that the decision to sign Corey Heim after years of development was deliberate.
Heim made his mark in the NASCAR Truck Series and impressed fans and pundits alike, with some pondering when the 23-year-old would receive a full-time seat in the Cup Series. After being a developmental driver for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing, Heim was promoted, taking over the No. 35 team currently occupied by Riley Herbst.
Now, the 45-year-old revealed that 23XI's decision to keep Heim from running full-time was made with the young star in mind. His explanation followed the two fielding questions about Heim's full-time status.
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"Wild prediction, but I think he's gonna be a playoff driver right off the bat or chase driver right off the bat," Hamlin began of Heim. "I saw it again this weekend; I mean he was outran me, out restarted me and had a car very capable of - I mean we won so I think he was very capable of running in the top three to four."
In the same vein, Hamlin understood that Heim still has a number of races left this season and is hoping the young star continues to learn from his experiences and to focus on the different situations at the track, which is why 23XI waited so long before promoting him.
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Denny Hamlin (L) introduced Corey Heim (R) as 23XI Racing's newest full-time driver (Image: Getty)
"He's still got quite a few races left this year to continue to build that notebook," Hamlin continued. "That was part of the plan all along is to have him sit on the sidelines and learn. Even when he's not driving he's at the racetrack learning. I want him there, digesting all this information.
"That way, when he goes full-time, he is a hundred percent ready to go and has enough track time at various racetracks to where there's not much of a learning curve." The 45-year-old also noted how Heim is working with a group that will help him grow into being a better driver when the time comes.
"He's got a lot of developmental guys that are just learning - road crew, again developmental," the 23XI co-owner said. "So he's up against it in the toughest conditions and still very competitive on Sundays. That just tells me that when we align them with the right team, the right pit crew, the right everything, he's just going to be really tough to beat."
Hamlin's explanation came days after he and Heim spoke to reporters about the latter being 23XI's third full-time driver. Speaking on having the opportunity he worked for since he was a young boy, Heim stated that he relishes the chance to be part of 23XI.
"My family and I have sacrificed a ton to get me to this level, and I don't take that for granted," he said in a statement.
"When the opportunity came up to be a development driver with 23XI Racing, I trusted my gut and knew this was the place I wanted to build a long-term career. From everyone at 23XI to the team at TOYOTA RACING, I've been blessed to have support from so many people along the way. I can't wait for the 2027 season to begin."
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Source: “AOL Sports”
