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Corey Heim Takes Home Top-Five in ARCA Menards Series Debut

www.arcaracing.com March 17, 2019

The 2018 ARCA Menards Series season was one of transformation for Chad Bryant Racing. Bryant, long-time crew chief for Cunningham Motorsports and team owners Kerry Scherer and Briggs Cunningham, transitioned into team ownership when his former owners decided to step back following the 2017 season.

Bryant intended to field two cars throughout 2018, but as things often do, plans change.

He locked down driver Joe Graf, Jr. (No. 77 EatSleepRace.com Ford) after the season’s second race at Nashville. Graf produced results, winning one race and scoring six top-five and eight top-ten finishes on his way to eighth in the final championship standings.

But the second car was a bit more of a challenge.

The team entered its No. 22 car in the season’s first three events and performed well. Tyler Dippel finished sixth at Nashville, and late model stock car standout Josh Berry started second and finished fourth at Salem. But the 22 would only make two other appearances in 2018, with Dippel finishing 25th at Charlotte and Tom Hessert III finishing ninth at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Leap ahead to 2019. Bryant’s No. 77 and No. 22 teams are looking at a full season effort, albeit with a rotating cast of characters in the driver’s seat.

Graf is back for another run at the series championship in the No. 77 Ford. Connor Hall drove to an eleventh-place run at Daytona, getting the season off on a solid foundation. Youngster Corey Heim (No. 22 Speedway Children’s Charities Ford) started fourth and finished fifth in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Five Flags Speedway.

Heim never ran lower than eighth at Five Flags and spent the overwhelming majority of his evening well inside the top five.

“We picked up a bunch of spots on pit road tonight,” Heim said, thanking his pit crew. “The car felt great all night long. Paul (Andrews, crew chief) made great calls on the pit box. We got through the center all day, but we couldn’t quite get the power down off the corner to get under people. We need to learn and improve a little for the next race.”

Heim has stated his intentions to compete for the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge title, which means he will also compete in the two dirt track events on the ARCA Menards Series schedule. That’s a major change for a driver who has spent his early years racing late models on pavement with no dirt track experience on his resume.

“I am looking forward to all the short tracks, plus the dirt tracks,” he said. “This team has run well with every driver they put in this car so I feel really good about going to all the races we have on our schedule.”

Heim returns to the cockpit for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway on April 14. Practice is set for 11 am ET on Saturday, April 13 with General Tire Pole Qualifying scheduled for 3 pm ET that afternoon. The green flag on round three of the 2019 ARCA Menards Series season will drop shortly after 2 pm ET on Sunday, April 14. The race will be televised live on MAVTV and ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live chat, and live track updates at ARCARacing.com. New members can register for free at ARCARacing.com/login.