“He’s been there for every high and every low. Thank you, dad, for your unconditional support and belief in me from day one. Thank you.” Those lines turned the NASCAR Cup Awards into a real emotional tear-jerker. 2025 Truck Series Champion Corey Heim’s heartfelt words brought his father, Ray Heim, to tears, a fitting end to a remarkable season for the Georgia native.

With 12 victories in a single year and the rare feat of leading at least one lap in every race, Heim’s consistency and determination defined his 2025 campaign. And he couldn’t have done it without his old man. The father-son duo had given up everything to reach this level, and Corey Heim knows it all too well.

Corey Heim pays tribute to his father’s efforts

Speaking on the NASCAR Live podcast, the 23-year-old driver said, “Yeah, well, that said all the impact on my racing career. Yeah, he’s the only reason why I’m here today. Probably my first quarter midget when I was five years old, and I got to run it at my local short track. And he’s supported my racing career, you know, from a personal perspective and also a financial perspective for a long time, to the point where I can finally, you know, race and, you know, get paid to race with Toyota and everything.”

Long before Corey Heim became a NASCAR Truck Series champion, Ray was a late-model racer at Lanier National Speedway, earning several top finishes while juggling work in the gambling industry. To keep his son’s racing dreams alive, he sold slot machine monitors to cover entry costs, displaying the ingenuity and grit often required in grassroots motorsport.

“My dad’s investing pretty much every time he’s got into my racing career,” Heim once shared, acknowledging the depth of his father’s commitment. That faith finally paid off. After stints with Venturini Motorsports, the Georgia native earned a full-time ride that paved the way for his championship triumph.

The Tricon Garage driver added, “He’s been part of the journey for my whole life, and see him, you know, smiling in Victory Lane after we won the championship, everything is definitely very fulfilling for me because I know like I can never pay him back for what he’s done for me. You know, he can appreciate the accomplishments, and you know, that’s what means most to him. So definitely it was awesome to have him over the weekend, and hopefully we can win some more.”

The journey began when Corey was just five years old. That Christmas, Ray had gifted him a go-kart, a small gesture that would shape both their lives. What started as weekend trips to a local racetrack soon became a powerful father-son partnership built on discipline, trust, and shared ambition. That being said, Corey couldn’t help but credit his father during the victory speeches.

“Since Corey started picking it up, there has been nothing better to see. He is so dedicated to becoming a better driver. He takes every racing experience and builds on it,” Ray said with pride. That same persistence carried him from his humble quarter midget beginnings to his dominant championship run at Phoenix Raceway, where he clawed back from 10th after a late caution to overtake 2024 NASCAR champion Ty Majeski. Still, as the 23-year-old looks ahead, the next chapter of his NASCAR career remains unwritten.

Heim is determined that the Truck Series is the best path to Cup

For young NASCAR hopefuls, “one step at a time” is more than a saying; it’s a strategy. Yet, drivers like Carson Hocevar have shown that there is more than one road to the top. For some, the fast track runs through the Truck Series.

To many within the paddock, including Corey Heim, the Truck Series remains the purest testing ground in the sport. It’s why the grassroots racer finds out if they have what it takes to compete under the national spotlight, bridging the jump from local ovals to the Xfinity and Cup circuits.

Heim, who has logged laps in all three national divisions, believes the trucks best prepare a driver for the big leagues. The Tricon Garage driver said, “I think the trucks are probably the most similar to Cup cars. I’ve driven all three. From a vehicle perspective, I think it definitely resonates the most when you’re trying to develop to be a hopeful Cup driver like myself. Xfinity is great, too.”

That doesn’t mean he dismisses the Xfinity Series entirely. The 23-year-old explained, “You’re comparing apples to oranges at the same time. You race a lot more on the Xfinity side. They’re a little tougher to drive at the end of the day. When you want to go Cup racing, you have to come to the truck.”

The Truck Series also doubles as a classroom, frequently featuring veterans who make select starts. Their presence gives emerging talents a front-row view of elite-level racecraft and a taste of the aggression, possession, and composure needed at the top. With NASCAR’s new rule allowing experienced Cup drivers to run up to 10 Xfinity and 8 Truck races each season, the competition has only intensified.

Beyond the track, the division serves as a finishing school for young professionals. Initiatives like NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity turn it into a holistic training ground, teaching drivers the off-track disciplines of sponsorship, media engagement, and personal branding. Many truck teams operate under the umbrella of major cup organizations, offering access to advanced equipment, top-tier crew members, and strategic guidance.

The exposure that comes with national broadcast and sold-out grandstands ensures these drivers aren’t racing; they are auditioning. For those like the 2025 Craftsman truck champion, the logic is simple. The earlier you can race at something that feels like Cup, the better prepared you will be when the call to move up finally comes.