Corey Heim secured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday, June 22nd, at the inaugural and only Anduril Race the Base 250 held at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego, beating his 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick by approximately 10 seconds. Heim, competing in a part-time race, outperformed full-season drivers.
The favorites returned early, Heim seized the opportunity.
For much of the race, the leaders Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch dominated; however, the pair collided with Austin Hill during a battle for the lead and were forced to retire. Heim calmly managed this critical moment, first taking the lead and then gaining the upper hand in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Reddick. Reddick, with four road course victories since the NextGen era, stands out as one of the strongest drivers on these tracks.
Heim shared his feelings and thoughts after the race as follows: “This gave me a huge boost of confidence. I got through the moment of the big accident, I never lost my focus, and being able to be alongside one of the best and make a clean pass is an incredible feeling.” Heim will race full-time for 23XI Racing starting in the 2027 season.
Assessment from co-owner Denny Hamlin and NASCAR management.
23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin made it clear that he did not expect the result. “To be honest, I was really surprised. If I had been asked in the middle of the race, I wouldn’t have been so surprised; I could see he had enough speed and he was on the right side of the strategy cycle. But still, it’s difficult to achieve this; the victory was definitely beyond my expectations.” he said.
The event was organized by the United States Navy as part of the 250th anniversary of the founding of America. This race at Naval Base Coronado was a new experience for NASCAR, following three years of events held in downtown Chicago. San Diego also saw several technical issues over the weekend, primarily tire wear.
NASCAR executive director Ben Kennedy expressed his satisfaction that the race was completed with minimal disruption at an active military facility, and shared his assessment: “We’ll have a comprehensive review meeting with our entire team, and then we’ll sit down with the Navy to discuss what we’ve learned. I want to discuss whether there’s an opportunity to come back here.” Kennedy stated that alternative venues besides NAS North Island, such as Chicago and Mexico City, could also be considered; he added that the main reason the Mexico City leg did not take place this year was due to a clash with the World Cup.