Kyle Busch Motorsports has brought back an ARCA Menards Series championship contender for an expanded Camping World Truck Series schedule. The NASCAR team has announced that Corey Heim will run 15 races during the 2022 season with JBL as his primary sponsor for 10 of the races.
Heim released a video celebrating the news on Tuesday, December 21. He showed himself cooling down from a workout and then heading toward his gym locker, where a wrapped present sat waiting for him. Heim unwrapped the gift — a pair of JBL wireless earbuds and a note confirming his return to the No. 51 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Heim will now run 15 races while working with crew chief Mardy Lindley.
Thanks to @KyleBusch & @JBLaudio for getting the holidays started off right!
Heim made three starts for KBM during the 2021 season, his first in the Truck Series. He drove the No. 51 at Darlington, Watkins Glen, and Martinsville while improving each outing. His first start was a 23rd-place finish due to damage, his second was an 18th-place finish, and his third was an 11th-place run during an elimination race.
“Corey proved that he is capable of running up front and winning races in the ARCA Menards Series last season and we feel that he is very deserving of the opportunity for an expanded schedule with KBM next year,” said team owner Kyle Busch in a statement. “Without any practice or qualifying he was able to step right in and run well enough in his Truck Series races this year and we feel that once he is able to get behind the wheel on a more consistent basis that he is someone that will be able to compete for wins.
“He has a great relationship with Mardy and they’ve already been putting in a lot of work in the offseason to make sure that they get our long-time sponsor JBL back to victory lane and put the No. 51 in the hunt for the owner’s championship again next year.”
Heim Will Make His Debut at Daytona International Speedway
GettyCorey Heim will make his debut at Daytona International Speedway.
KBM did not reveal Heim’s full schedule for the 2022 season, but the organization provided some details. Specifically, Heim will make his season debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2022.
Along with kicking off the season in the No. 51 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Heim will also compete in the final eight races of the season. He will suit up at Pocono Raceway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Richmond Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway. KBM will announce his remaining races at a later date.
“Coming up through the Toyota Racing Development program not only have I looked up to Kyle as a driver but I’ve also watched him build KBM into an organization that provides up-and-coming drivers with all the tools that they need to win races and compete for championships, so I’m super grateful for the opportunity to compete for an owner’s championship alongside him in the No. 51 Tundra TRD Pro in 2022,” Heim said in a statement. “I was able to get JBL to victory lane three times in the ARCA Menards Series this year and I know that with Mardy atop the pit box and the team I have around me that I can get them to Victory Lane again this year in the Camping World Truck Series.”
Heim will not be the only driver suiting up for races in the No. 51 during the 2022 season. Busch will also make his normal five starts as a driver-owner. Though Rowdy has yet to reveal when he will climb into the truck and contend for his 62nd career win in the series.
Heim Had a Memorable ARCA Menards Series Season
While Heim only ran three Truck Series races in 2021, he had a memorable season in the ARCA Menards Series. He won six of the 20 races while battling Ty Gibbs for the championship. He also finished top-10 every single week while reaching the top-five a total of 16 times.
Heim finished 37 points behind Gibbs in the championship race, but his season was still one of the most dominant in recent years. His average start was 3.6 while his average finish was 3.1 en route to 1,055 total points. For comparison, Nick Sanchez finished third in the championship race after a season with one win, 13 top-10 finishes, nine top-fives, and 739 points.
“Corey Heim was so impressive,” FOX Sports play-by-play and pit reporter Jamie Little told Heavy during an interview on December 21. “I mean, unfortunate for him, he had to go up against Ty Gibbs. Otherwise, we’d be talking about Corey Heim and this incredible run he had. I think his average finish was under… it was like 2.9 for most of the season, somewhere around there, which is incredible. He’s actually going to run a lot of Truck races — almost all of them for Kyle Busch Motorsports — and he’s earned that right. 100%.”
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Kyle Busch Motorsports Sets Schedule for Corey Heim