In just his 13th career NASCAR Cup Series start, 10th with 23XI Racing, and sixth of the 2026 season, Corey Heim drove his way to victory lane in the inaugural street course race at Qualcomm Circuit, more commonly known as the Coronado Street Course, on Naval Base Coronado.
It was a surprising victory in some ways, but in others, it proved what NASCAR fans have long known about the 23XI Racing development driver: he is ready for the sport's top level, and he is more than deserving of the promotion he has already received to become a full-time driver in 2027.
But Heim, who became the first part-time driver to win a Cup race since Shane van Gisbergen won on series debut at the Chicago Street Course in 2023, will not compete at Sonoma Raceway this weekend.
Corey Heim out for Sonoma, return date set
This coming Sunday afternoon's road course race at Sonoma Raceway was not a part of Heim's 12-race schedule as the driver of the No. 67 Toyota for the 2026 season, and that did not change despite his street course victory. He is set to return next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, which hasn't hosted a Cup race since 2019.
Chicagoland replaced the Chicago Street Course race after the latter had been on the calendar since 2023.
Heim is set to become the first race winner to miss the following weekend's race since Denny Hamlin won at Michigan International Speedway in June 2025 and then did not compete at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as he welcomed his third child.
In fact, there are no non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list for Sunday's 110-lap Toyota Save Mart 350 around the 12-turn, 1.99-mile (3.203-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Sonoma, California at all, after there were three in San Diego.
The No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota was driven by Jimmie Johnson and the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet was driven by Kevin Magnussen at Coronado.
Heim is set to run a total of six more races in the 2026 season's second half. In addition to the Chicagoland race, he is set to compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26; Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 29; Darlington Raceway on Sunday, September 6; Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 11; and Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 8 to wrap up the season.
Live coverage of the Toyota Save Mart 350 is set to be provided by TNT from Sonoma Raceway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 28. Don't miss the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season's final road course race!
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