Corey Heim already has two wins as a NASCAR Cup Series driver, wheeling the part-time No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota to victories in San Diego and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
However, NASCAR says that Heim will not be eligible to compete for Rookie of the Year honors in 2027 as he embarks on his first full-time season. He is also not eligible this year either as he didn't declare for Cup points. In the owner standings, that No. 67 entry is actually within 20 points of line 2026's only ROTY candidate, Connor Zilisch, despite running only a third of the schedule at this point.
In this week's episode of Hauler Talk, NASCAR's vice president of racing communications Mike Forde addressed Heim's eligibility for Rookie of the Year.
"The rookie designation has changed over the years, and also, not all rookies are created equal," explained Forde. "To be a rookie, you have to apply to be a Rookie of the Year candidate. So, you can go through the entire season, be a rookie -- be a first year driver -- and not technically be a Rookie of the Year candidate if you didn't apply to do so."
Shane van Gisbergen made 14 Cup starts before his true rookie season in 2025, winning ROTY. However, the rules have since changed.
"Recently, we have changed the rookie criteria," continued Forde. "For the NASCAR Cup Series, you can have no more than 12 starts prior to the Rookie of the Year season you're looking to apply for. Corey Heim has 15 right now, so by the rule, he cannot be a rookie in 2027, or at least a Rookie of the Year candidate."
Because of that and the amount of starts he has made, Forde says this is technically Heim's rookie season, but he isn't eligible for ROTY as he didn't declare for it.
