NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES: FRESH FROM FLORIDA 250

February 14, 2025

Corey Heim

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the new winner, I guess you can say, of tonight's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, and that's Corey Heim. Obviously the result of a disqualification to the 75 truck.

Corey, I guess I will just let you speak on the interesting nature of this victory.

COREY HEIM: Yeah, it's my first time having this kind of scenario happen either way. Certainly glad to be on the right side of it. Sucks for Parker and those guys. They seemed like they obviously put themselves in position at the right time to win the race, but obviously there's another level to it after the race.

So, yeah, just grateful to be in the spot, I guess, to take advantage of that, and huge props to everyone at TRICON Garage, Toyota, and Safelite. First win under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner, which is cool. Move on to Atlanta and try to get another one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Two questions: First, what are the emotions after the way that this race ended? Getting the win, locking yourself into the playoff this way, what are the emotions that come with this?

COREY HEIM: I guess all good ones, yeah. It's certainly not as thrilling as winning the race on the racetrack, but I don't know. Yeah, I mean, I've been on the wrong side of it several times in my late model career. It's cool to get a big one like that. Would be cooler, like I said, if it was on track.

Yeah, I recall several instances where we think we win the race, and then you start kind of seeing everyone huddle up in tech, and you are, like, oh, boy. Next thing you know we're tossed out. I don't think I've ever been on the right side of that.

It's cool, especially at Daytona. Once again, just would have been cooler if I crossed the line first and whatnot, but we'll take them any way we can get them.

Good start to the year for our TRICON boys. Everybody worked really well together teammate-wise to get ourselves in position. Glad we could execute on the aftermath.

Q. First, you talked about working together with your teammates, and you guys really seemed like you had a plan to stay tucked up tight there, particularly in the final laps. How much conversation went into the plan before this race, and did it work out as well or better than maybe you guys expected it might?

COREY HEIM: Yeah, it certainly worked out better than I thought it would. I feel like within Toyota we always have a game plan going into the race, but it seems like always something happens.

I mean, last year we wrecked on lap 6. I got through. Some of my teammates didn't. There's just always some sort of circumstance that takes us out of being able to work with each other.

The stars kind of aligned today. I think we had a couple of beat-up trucks within the organization at the end there, but we all stuck in line and did pretty well working together.

If you were to ask me before the race if I thought we were going to be able to make it work with I think two or three rookies on the team, I would have probably said no. I was pleasantly surprised the way Gio and William handled themselves at the end of the race. They knew what they were doing there, and lost Tony pretty early, or else he probably would have been up there too. Tanner, he is kind of a vet now, but he does a great job as well.

Really just across the board, great job by all the guys, especially the rookies. Very impressive for them. Thanks to those guys.

Q. I know the emotions are definitely, like you said, different than a normal win, but regardless of that, this is Daytona, and it's a place that, while you've been here a bunch, had not been able to win until tonight. What does this mean to you personally to finally check arguably the biggest race in the Truck Series off your bucket list?

COREY HEIM: Yeah, it doesn't feel like it's my biggest win by any means, but it's a great way to start the season for sure. I think in my four starts -- I was talking to somebody about this earlier -- I have progressively climbed up every year.

The first year I ran a truck here, I wrecked early. Then the next year I had a mediocre finish and then P2 last year and ended up P1 this year.

I feel like I'm getting better. There's a huge level of circumstance to all that and luck at the end of the day being in position and not getting wrecked. I would like to think to myself that I've been getting better on speedways every year, and I don't think it's been my strong suit in the past.

So regardless of whether I finished on track versus the aftermath, I really feel like I put myself in the best position to be successful this year. We were able to obviously take the win away at the end of the day, but I think that progression has been shown by me, and I'm proud of myself, I guess, about that.

Q. If somebody is failing height, usually you all know pretty quick. Were you in the garage and watching it, or had you left the track? How did you find out?

COREY HEIM: Yeah, I just got in my rental, and I got a text about it. They said not to go too far. Yeah, it didn't last long.

I mean, I was probably in the hauler for, like, ten minutes. I would never expect someone to get thrown out, so I kind of did my normal change, pound some water, and get out of there.

Yeah, I never really expected it. I saw some people huddled up on the way out, and I didn't really think much of it, but of course, it ended up benefitting us.

Q. Are you going to celebrate?

COREY HEIM: Yeah, I would say so. We won, right? Would you celebrate?

Q. Corey, when it was announced you were coming back to trucks for this year, I saw a lot of people saying online and stuff that, you know, He could win every single race. Realistically, how many races do you think you can win this year in the Truck Series? What's your goal?

COREY HEIM: Yeah, I don't really ever put an expectation on myself as far as a win count by any means. I try to take it one week at a time. I'm trying to win every race. That's why I show up.

I guess, to answer your question, 25 this year. Yeah, I mean, I feel like, like I said, I take it one week at a time. I feel like I have just as good a chance as anyone at any racetrack.

I take my preparation pretty seriously. We come to win, so hopefully all of them. We'll see.