Corey Heim Calls Out NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year Flaw Using Connor Zilisch Example

Winning races and competing for championships are the measures Corey Heim wants to be judged by. Individual accolades have never been high on his priority list, particularly those that do not necessarily reflect what a driver has achieved on track. Yet NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year award has become a talking point heading into the 2027 season, with the next generation of Cup drivers preparing to make their mark. 

For Heim, the problem goes beyond who gets recognized. It comes down to whether an award still means anything when there is no genuine competition for it. With his own full-time promotion approaching and another young prospect preparing to enter the Cup garage, Heim was asked about the rookie battle awaiting NASCAR next season. His response exposed a flaw he believes the sport should take a closer look at.

“I’ve never been a guy that said, ‘I want to be the rookie of the year.’” Heim told Steven Taranto. “I want to win races and be a champion. That’s always been my goal. Never written down on my vision board. I want to be rookie of the year—none of that stuff. But it looks like Jesse will be a rookie next year, and I think he’s super talented. So I think it’ll be a really good battle to keep up with during the year.

“I hate when people get participation trophies, and that’s, if Jesse’s the only one, I mean, that’s kind of what it is, not to knock on Zilisch at all, but I think he literally finished like last on points, and they’re going to hand him a trophy and say he’s rookie of the year. Like I said, it’s not a knock on him. He’s going to be great. He’s going to win races, but it’s like we’ve got nothing to compete against.”

Heim’s criticism centered on Connor Zilisch, who is set to receive the 2026 Cup Series Rookie of the Year award after an extremely challenging first season with Trackhouse Racing. The 20-year-old entered the championship following an outstanding 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign, winning 10 races and finishing runner-up in the standings. 

His promotion to the No. 88 Chevrolet reflected the team’s belief in his potential, but the jump to Cup competition brought a different set of demands.

Zilisch struggled to find consistency throughout the campaign. Mechanical problems, on-track incidents, and a difficult run of results left him well outside contention in the overall standings. 

He ended the season 33rd, with no wins, two top-10 finishes, and 10 DNFs. Although his performances showed signs of improvement towards the end, he had spent much of the year fighting simply to establish himself in the field.

The circumstances of the award made Heim’s argument particularly pointed. Zilisch was the only declared candidate for the 2026 honor, leaving no other eligible driver against whom his campaign could be measured. Heim was careful to separate his criticism of the system from his opinion of the young Trackhouse driver, whose potential remains considerable.

The 2027 rookie conversation could have a different dynamic with Jesse Love joining Wood Brothers Racing. The 2025 O’Reilly Series champion will replace Josh Berry in the No. 21 Ford, bringing championship credentials and considerable experience from NASCAR’s lower divisions. Love has made seven Cup starts but remains within the 12-start threshold for Rookie of the Year consideration.

Heim, however, will not be part of that contest. His own Cup experience makes his eligibility a more complicated matter, particularly with almost 20 starts already behind him.

“It’s awkward, and people make the argument. Well, I’ve made almost 20 starts now, I’m not a rookie, and they’re right,” Heim said. “I mean, it’s definitely not fair to Jesse that I have more starts in this experience, probably in a little bit better of a race car next year, but there’s nothing worse than growing up in quarter-midget or racing, and you get literally a participation trophy. Like, they used to basically give us trophies if we flipped over with an upside-down quarter-midget on, and I’m like, I don’t know, yeah, just give me something authentic.”

NASCAR’s rules restrict Rookie of the Year candidates to drivers with no more than 12 previous Cup starts. Heim has exceeded that limit, having already made his mark in the series through his part-time appearances. 

He was eligible to apply for the 2026 award but did not pursue it, meaning the 2027 season will also begin without him in the running for the honor.

His results explain why the distinction matters little to his career trajectory. Heim has already won twice in the Cup Series, including at Naval Base Coronado and the Brickyard 400 in 2026. 

Those victories came after he established himself as one of the most dominant drivers in the Truck Series, winning a record 12 races during his championship-winning 2025 campaign.

That success has also brought some significant praise. 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin has described Heim as a generational talent, a label that places considerable expectations on a driver still at the beginning of his Cup career. Heim, though, has a measured understanding of what such recognition means and where the responsibility lies.

“I’ve come to appreciate the accomplishments from the opportunities I’ve had up to this point, but I feel like calling me a generational talent is a reflection of what I’ve already done,” Heim said. “And now it’s not necessarily my job to back that up. I think it’s just my job to at least meet those expectations and perform at a high level, like I’m expected to do.

“I don’t know what classifies as a generational talent or who’s kind of fit under that umbrella before, but it seems like it’s a niche group of people, so Denny believing in me in that way is definitely special. I feel like I’ve got a lot of things going my direction right now, and I feel like there’s really only one way to go, which is forward.”

Hamlin’s confidence in Heim is backed by the opportunity awaiting him in 2027. The 23XI prospect will replace Riley Herbst in the No. 35 Toyota, joining Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick in the team’s Cup lineup. 

Herbst is moving to Legacy Motor Club’s No. 84 entry, opening the door for Heim to take on a full-time role with an organization that has already demonstrated its ability to compete for victories and championships.

Reddick has established himself as a consistent front-runner, while Wallace has also delivered race-winning performances for the team. With Toyota’s technical support and Hamlin’s experience guiding the organization, Heim will have the equipment and infrastructure to compete at the highest level.

The challenge now is translating his part-time success into a full-season campaign. A full Cup schedule demands consistency across different tracks, adapting to changing race conditions and making the most of every opportunity. 

Heim has already shown he can win at this level. The next step is becoming a regular presence in the championship conversation. And that, rather than a rookie trophy, is where his attention will be when the 2027 season begins.

“My goal is to win races and make the Chase, hopefully give it somewhat of a run for money for a championship next year,” Heim said. “And that’s kind of my priority.”

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