HEIM TIME: Corey Heim Shocks NASCAR Cup Series Field With First Career Win in Inaugural San Diego Street Race

RPW EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY: Steven Brien / RPW – SAN DIEGO, CA – Corey Heim passed 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick with three laps remaining and pulled away to earn his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in Sunday’s Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado.

“I’m speechless,” Heim said after climbing from his No. 67 Toyota. “I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”

The reigning Truck Series champion led only three laps in his 13th career Cup Series start.

“It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” he added. “I didn’t expect to come into my part time season and win.”

Reddick later suffered a flat tire and dropped to a 25th-place finish, cutting his points lead over Denny Hamlin to eight points.

“We kind of struggled with rear tire life all weekend long,” Reddick said. “It definitely stings.”

“I ran him [Heim] straight into the wall and that wasn’t right,” he added. “I wasn’t gonna pass him for the win that way.”

Bubba Wallace overcame a lost wheel to finish second, while Kyle Larson led 11 laps and finished third. Zane Smith and A.J. Allmendinger completed the top five.

Chris Buescher finished sixth, followed by Ross Chastain, Riley Herbst, Ryan Blaney and Michael McDowell.

The complexion of the race changed on Lap 31 when Austin Hill forced Connor Zilisch wide, triggering a multi-car crash that eliminated heavy favorite Shane van Gisbergen and collected Ty Gibbs, McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Blaney, Herbst and John Hunter Nemechek.

Zilisch and van Gisbergen combined to lead 15 of the race’s first 31 laps before being eliminated in the accident.

The incident brought out a red flag lasting just over nine minutes for wall repairs.

Chaos resumed on the restart with 12 laps to go when Heim spun Carson Hocevar while battling for second place in the backstretch chicane.

The seventh caution flew with 16 laps remaining when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ‘s engine expired entering Turn 2 and left fluid on the track.

With 28 laps remaining, William Byron brought his damaged Chevrolet to pit road, ending a promising run after earlier contact.

Brad Keselowski, already struggling throughout the race, retired to the garage with 27 laps to go.

Chase Elliott was later spun by Austin Cindric in Turn 12 but continued.

Another caution flew on Lap 44 for debris following contact between Josh Berry and Cole Custer in Turn 2.

On Lap 48, Kevin Magnussen spun in Turn 2 during his Cup Series debut but continued without a caution.

After Larson pitted before the stage break, Ryan Preece passed Herbst to win Stage 2, his second stage victory of the season.

Herbst finished second, followed by Buescher, Allmendinger and Blaney. Hocevar, Suarez, Chastain, Todd Gilliland and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.

Reddick also spun in Stage 2 after getting loose in Turn 8 while running 14th.

The third caution of the race came on Lap 30 when 18-year-old Brent Crews suffered a gearbox failure that ended with an engine failure for the No. 20 Toyota. Christopher Bell had climbed from his car at the end of stage one and handed driving duties to Crews, who made his first career Cup Series laps.

On the ensuing restart, van Gisbergen made contact with Buescher while battling for fourth place in the carousel, spinning Buescher. Both drivers continued without a caution.

Stage 1 ended under caution after Wallace lost a wheel while running inside the top five.

Blaney captured his second stage victory of the season after passing van Gisbergen for the lead on the Lap 15 restart.

Preece finished second in the stage, followed by Larson, Gibbs and Allmendinger. Gilliland was sixth, Hocevar seventh, Logano eighth, Zilisch ninth, and Byron rounded out the top ten.

The first caution flew on Lap 12 when Stenhouse stopped on track with mechanical issues.

On Lap 6, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson spun in the backstretch chicane after brake issues caused significant damage to his Toyota.

Austin Dillon spun in Turn 9 during the opening laps but continued without a caution.

Johnson’s difficult afternoon continued late in the race when he spun into the Turn 6 wall.

The NASCAR Cup Series remains on the West Coast next weekend for the In-Season Challenge opener at Sonoma Raceway.

NASCAR Cup Series Race – Anduril 250

Qualcomm Circuit

Naval Base Coronado, San Diego, CA.

Sunday June 21, 2026

1. (13) Corey Heim (i), Toyota, 75.
2. (12) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 75.
3. (14) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 75.
4. (4) Zane Smith, Ford, 75.
5. (15) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 75.
6. (16) Chris Buescher, Ford, 75.
7. (23) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 75.
8. (24) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 75.
9. (3) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 75.
10.  (9) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 75.
11.  (7) Ryan Preece, Ford, 75.
12.  (30) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 75.
13.  (6) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 75.
14.  (26) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 75.
15.  (11) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 75.
16.  (28) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 75.
17.  (22) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 75.
18.  (19) Joey Logano, Ford, 75.
19.  (2) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 75.
20.  (38) Erik Jones, Toyota, 75.
21.  (5) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 75.
22.  (31) Austin Cindric, Ford, 75.
23.  (39) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 75.
24.  (18) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 75.
25.  (17) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 75.
26.  (20) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 75.
27.  (21) Kevin Magnussen (R), Chevrolet, 75.
28.  (36) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 75.
29.  (35) Josh Berry, Ford, 75,
30.  (34) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 74.
31.  (25) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 72.
32.  (27) William Byron, Chevrolet, 68.
33.  (33) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Radiator, 59.
34.  (29) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 59.
35.  (32) Noah Gragson, Ford, Accident, 37.
36.  (10) Austin Hill (i), Chevrolet, Accident, 31.
37.  (8) Connor Zilisch (R), Chevrolet, Accident, 31.
38.  (1) Shane van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, Accident, 31.
39.  (37) Christopher Bell, Toyota, Engine, 28.