Heim, who is 21 years old, usually races full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series and has won many races there. But this weekend, he got a big call-up. Erik Jones, a driver for Legacy Motor Club, got hurt in a crash, so Heim was asked to step in and drive his car.
Even though Heim has never raced in a NASCAR Cup Series before, he’s making his debut at a tough track called Dover Motor Speedway. It’s known as the ‘Monster Mile’ because it’s a challenging one-mile concrete track with steep turns and little room for mistakes. There are often big crashes with lots of cars involved. In practice on Saturday, there was already a bad crash, but luckily, the driver walked away.
Despite having limited time on the track, Heim did really well driving the No. 43 LMC Toyota. He only had 20 minutes of practice before qualifying. He did 21 laps during practice and was just a tiny bit slower than his teammate, John-Hunter Nemechek.
With so little time to practice before the race, Heim is getting advice from everyone he can to be ready for the 400-lap race on Sunday. One person helping him out is Erik Jones, who’s injured but still giving advice.
Heim said, “Any good advice that I’ve gotten has been really important for me throughout the weekend. We are just going to take it one step at a time. It’s not going to be easy, but I have more time this weekend to figure things out. I’ve been reaching out to as many people as I can to get all the information I need.”
Despite the pressure, Heim did well in qualifying and even beat his teammate Nemechek. He’ll start 32nd on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who co-owns LMC, is also racing this weekend. He did well in practice and qualifying too.
For Heim, it’s a big moment to race alongside a champ like Johnson and represent the iconic No. 43 car. But right now, he’s just focused on doing his best.
Heim said, “It’s definitely a big opportunity for me, but right now, I’m just focused on the race. When I look back on it, I’m sure it’ll be a cool moment for me, but for now, I’m staying focused on the present.”
This is also the first time Heim has ever sat in a Cup car, so he’s a little nervous, but ready for the challenge.
