Marietta, Georgia native Corey Heim won the Anduril 250 Race the Base NASCAR Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado – 23XI Racing Photo
Winston, Georgia native Austin Hill won the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 NOAPS Series Race on Saturday at Naval Base Coronado
By Staff Report – NASCAR.com
Corey Heim stunned the NASCAR Cup Series field Sunday, winning the inaugural event at Naval Base Coronado for his first career win in just his 13th series start.
Heim paced with the lead pack in the final laps, contending with 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick for the lead on the final 12-lap run to the finish. The 23-year-old Marietta, Georgia native took the lead from Reddick with three laps to go, clearing the No. 45 Toyota after the two had contact in Turn 5.
Heim recently announced as a full-time driver for 23XI starting next year, the victory in one of NASCAR’s most important races of the season bordered on the surreal.
“I’m speechless,” Heim said after completing an extended celebratory burnout. “I mean, we started the race, I think we started 13th. We fell straight back to 20th. Then put on our scuffs from qualifying, struggled just as bad.
Reddick suffered a flat tire running second with two to go. The Cup Series points leader ultimately finished 25th.
23XI tallied a 1-2 result with Bubba Wallace placing second. Kyle Larson, Zane Smith and AJ Allmendinger completed the top five. Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Riley Herbst, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell rounded out the top 10.
Ryan Blaney claimed the Stage 1 victory under yellow in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado.
A caution came out with two laps to go in the opening frame after Bubba Wallace lost a right-front wheel following a pit stop.
Ryan Preece collected the Stage 2 win in the Anduril 250, passing Riley Herbst for the lead with two to go in the segment at Naval Base Coronado.
The race took a massive turn on Lap 32 as Austin Hill and Connor Zilisch crashed together from the lead on a restart, triggering a multicar incident that also ended the day of road-course sensation Shane van Gisbergen.
Noah Gragson and Tyler Reddick also had solo spins late in the stage.
The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota suffered a mechanical failure on Lap 31, forcing Brent Crews, who subbed in for Christopher Bell, to the garage and ending the day for the team. Bell will be credited with a 39th-place result.
After a Ricky Stenhouse Jr. caution on Lap 13, Crews subbed into the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for Bell as Bell continues recovery from a fractured wrist suffered during a wreck at Michigan two weeks ago.
Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon also went for spins early in the race.