For just the fifth time during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, 23XI Racing fielded a non-chartered (open) car this past weekend at Nashville Superspeedway for development driver Corey Heim, alongside their three full-time entries for Bubba Wallace, Riley Herbst, and Tyler Reddick.
Before Heim competed in that race, the Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned team made the long-awaited announcement that Heim is set to replace Herbst full-time behind the wheel of the No. 35 Toyota in 2027.
Heim, the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series champion, also competes part-time for Tricon Garage in the Truck Series and has won twice in four races this season.
23XI Racing back to three cars for Michigan NASCAR Cup race
While Heim is set to run Saturday's Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway in the No. 5 Toyota, marking his first series start since mid-April at Bristol Motor Speedway, he will not be back behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota for Sunday's Cup Series race.
Heim, whose Cup Series deal for 2026 is a 12-race deal, is set to return two weeks from now for the inaugural street course race at Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California.
As for this weekend, there is just one open car on the entry list for Sunday's 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400 around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval.
That car is the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet, which most recently ran at Talladega Superspeedway in late April. J.J. Yeley is set to make his first start since the February race at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway), ending a 12-race absence that is his longest at any point since 2019.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 is set to be shown live on Amazon Prime Video from Michigan International Speedway starting at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 7. Don't miss the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season's 15th points race!
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