Corey Heim Secures First Cup Series Win at Naval Base Coronado

Corey Heim’s impressive performance at the inaugural NASCAR race at Naval Base Coronado led to his first career Cup Series victory. Despite slamming into the wall twice and damaging his tires, Heim’s No. 67 Toyota gained speed, securing his win in only his 13th start.

The 23-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, maintained composure and leveraged his experience on the 3.4-mile, 16-turn street course. “I’m speechless,” said Heim. “I had high expectations and went after it.” His victory came after overtaking teammate Tyler Reddick in the final laps.

Bubba Wallace secured second place, ensuring a 1-2 finish for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA icon Michael Jordan. Reddick, who experienced a flat tire, fell to 25th in the race, thus narrowing his lead over Hamlin in the standings to eight points.

This race marked the third first-time winner of the season, with Heim joining Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar as newcomers to the Cup victory roster.

“Just crazy,” Heim said. “I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”

Praise for Heim came from fellow racers, including two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson, who finished third. He commended Heim’s talent and performance on a challenging track.

The race also saw Zane Smith and AJ Allmendinger completing the top five positions. Hamlin ended in 14th place, failing to continue his winning streak of three races.

Van Gisbergen, who intended to add an eighth road victory to his career, finished 38th after getting caught in a crash initiated by Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill. Zilisch, a rookie, described the incident as “really unfortunate” yet enjoyed leading laps for the first time.

During the race, Christopher Bell handed over driving duties of the No. 20 Toyota to Brent Crews due to his ongoing recovery from a broken wrist. Crews departed after experiencing gearbox problems.

Jimmie Johnson also competed in his second and last Cup start of the season, finishing 28th after hitting a tire barrier. He plans to participate in the 2027 Daytona 500 but remains open to other racing opportunities.

The NASCAR series will continue in California at Sonoma Raceway on June 28, where van Gisbergen dominated last year.