Corey Heim Earns First Cup Series Win in Historic San Diego Race
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Corey Heim celebrates after successful the NASCAR Cup Series Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. The victory marked Heim’s first profession Cup Series win and got here in NASCAR’s inaugural points-paying race on the Southern California road course.
Corey Heim capitalized on a chaotic end Sunday to attain the primary NASCAR Cup Series victory of his profession, successful the inaugural Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
For a lot of the afternoon, the race appeared headed towards a showdown between Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson and a number of other of NASCAR’s established stars. Instead, it was Heim who emerged from a frantic closing stretch to ship the most important win of his younger profession.
Driving the No. 67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Toyota, Heim took management in the closing laps and held off teammate Reddick to change into the primary driver to win a Cup Series race on the streets of San Diego.
Bubba Wallace completed second, Kyle Larson took third, Riley Herbst in fourth, and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the highest 5.
Tyler Reddick’s Bid for a Sixth Win Ends in Frustration
For a lot of Sunday’s race, Tyler Reddick appeared poised to depart San Diego together with his sixth victory of the 2026 season.
The 23XI Racing driver spent a lot of the afternoon close to the entrance and took management throughout the closing run to the checked flag. As the laps wound down, Reddick seemed effectively on his approach to including one other trophy to an already spectacular season.
Instead, heartbreak struck.
With fewer than three laps remaining, Reddick suffered a tire challenge whereas main the race, forcing him to give up the highest spot and dramatically altering the end result of NASCAR’s first race at Naval Base Coronado.
The drawback dropped Reddick by way of the working order, and he in the end limped to the end line in twenty fifth place after showing to have the race in hand simply moments earlier.
His misfortune opened the door for Heim, who seized the chance and drove away with the most important victory of his profession.
A Chaotic Afternoon in San Diego
While the end will dominate headlines, Sunday’s race featured drama from begin to end.
The occasion produced 4 cautions and the primary purple flag of the afternoon after an enormous multi-car crash introduced the sector to a halt.
Among the drivers concerned had been:
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Connor Zilisch
- Daniel Suarez
- Ryan Blaney
- Austin Hill
- Riley Herbst
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Ty Gibbs
- Michael McDowell
The accident proved particularly pricey for van Gisbergen.
The Trackhouse Racing driver entered the weekend because the overwhelming favourite after dominating observe and qualifying and main vital parts of the race. Instead of celebrating in Victory Lane, van Gisbergen noticed his day finish in the storage following the crash.
The incident utterly modified the complexion of the race and arrange the frantic end that in the end delivered Heim his breakthrough victory.
Bubba Wallace’s Comeback Highlights Strong Day for 23XI Racing
Although Reddick’s late setback stole a possible win from the group, 23XI Racing nonetheless left San Diego with lots to rejoice.
Bubba Wallace delivered one of many drives of the day, recovering from a pricey penalty to complete second.
Wallace’s hassle started close to the tip of Stage 1 when a wheel got here off his No. 23 Toyota, bringing out a warning and forcing NASCAR to evaluate a two-lap penalty.
The incident appeared poised to destroy his afternoon.
Instead, Wallace methodically labored his manner again by way of the sector and turned what might have been a disastrous end result right into a runner-up end.
Combined with Reddick’s dominance for a lot of the race, Sunday’s efficiency additional bolstered 23XI Racing’s standing as one of many strongest organizations in the Cup Series storage.
Stage Winners
Stage 1 Top 10
- Ryan Blaney
- Ryan Preece
- Kyle Larson
- Ty Gibbs
- AJ Allmendinger
- Todd Gilliland
- Carson Hocevar
- Joey Logano
- Connor Zilisch
- William Byron
Stage 2 Top 10
- Ryan Preece
- Riley Herbst
- Chris Buescher
- AJ Allmendinger
- Ryan Blaney
- Carson Hocevar
- Daniel Suarez
- Ross Chastain
- Todd Gilliland
- Joey Logano
Corey Heim Makes History
The win marks the primary Cup Series victory of Heim’s profession and instantly turns into one of many defining moments of the 2026 season.
It additionally secures its place in NASCAR historical past.
Years from now, every time followers look again on the inaugural Cup Series race in San Diego, they are going to see one title on the high of the outcomes sheet: Corey Heim.
In a race full of cautions, crashes, heartbreak and late-race drama, the 22-year-old delivered when it mattered most, turning an sudden alternative right into a career-defining victory.
Maggie Mackenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She beforehand labored for NASCAR.com, the place she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend protection and traveled to key occasions all through the season. She has greater than ten years of expertise in sports activities media and is predicated in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie
