After 650 begins, the No. 67 has lastly gained a NASCAR Cup race

For many who carefully observe or also have a informal curiosity in NASCAR automotive quantity stats, that is the story for you. Half-time driver Corey Heim took the unchartered No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota and claimed victory in simply his thirteenth profession begin.

He needed to move championship chief and teammate Tyler Reddick in a head-to-head combat, prevailing solely after an intense back-and-forth battle with only a few laps to go.

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In doing so, Heim earned the No. 67 its first-ever win within the historical past of the NASCAR Cup Collection racing. It took 650 makes an attempt for a driver to ship a win to the automotive quantity, and truthfully, it is an ideal time for it to occur with the 6-7 meme being a factor.

However what concerning the historical past of the No. 67 in NASCAR? That is what we actually need to dive into right here, and it has an fascinating previous…

First begin: The automotive quantity first appeared in a Cup race on February 5, 1950, with Joe Harrison behind the wheel. He began thirty first and completed fortieth at Daytona Seashore highway course (sure, they raced on the precise seaside), solely finishing three laps. That was his one and solely begin on the high stage of NASCAR.

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First high ten: It wasn’t till the next yr the No. 67 earned its first high ten, this time with Jim Fiebelkorn behind the wheel, ending seventh on the one-mile Langhorne filth observe in Pennsylvania.

1951 runner-up end: And whereas it took one other 75 years for it to succeed in Victory Lane, the No. 67 really virtually gained a race manner again in 1951. Jim Reed drove the No. 67 on the Thompson half-mile in Connecticut, one lap behind race winner Neil Cole. He led 58 laps that day, which was a document for that automotive quantity that stood till Heim himself led 69 laps at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this yr.

1960 runner-up end: Reed’s runner-up end was as shut because the automotive quantity got here to a checkered flag till 1960, when NASCAR legend David Pearson drove the No. 67, giving it an actual likelihood of breaking by way of. Driving for himself, the longer term Corridor of Fame used the automotive quantity all through the 1960 season as a Cup Collection rookie. On the quarter-mile South Carolina filth observe often known as Gamecock Speedway, he earned pole place and finally completed second to Ned Jarrett. To at the present time, that continues to be the one pole place ever achieved by the No. 67 automotive.

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Different No. 67 stats and factsDavid Pearson (No. 67) leads Jim Pascahl (No. 49)

David Pearson (No. 67) leads Jim Pascahl (No. 49)

Reed’s runner-up end in 1951 and Pearson’s runner-up end in 1960 stood as the most effective outcomes for the No. 67 till June 21, 2026, when Heim was victorious on the all-new Naval Base Coronado avenue course. It additionally completed third on six completely different events,

Over the many years, the No. 67 automotive has began a complete of 650 races, main 154 laps whereas scoring 24 high fives, 114 high tens, one pole, and at last…one race win.

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Earlier than 23XI Racing introduced the quantity again on a part-time foundation in 2023 (with Travis Pastrana, Kamui Kobayashi, and later Heim), it was fully absent from the Cup grid for 2 full many years, with Boris Mentioned final working it in 2002.

Heim’s win can also be the automotive quantity’s first high 5 in any Cup race since 1979! Buddy Arrington, who has made extra begins with the No. 67 than another driver (virtually 500), completed third that yr at Talladega, and that was the No. 67’s most up-to-date high 5 till Heim got here alongside. Heim led simply three laps en path to the checkered flag in San Diego.

One other fascinating reality is that Pearson and Dale Jarrett are the one NASCAR Cup champions to ever drive the No. 67 on the high stage of the game, with Jarrett making a single begin for the workforce owned by Arrington within the 1988 Coca-Cola 600.

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As for Heim, he’ll go full-time with 23XI Racing subsequent yr, and whereas workforce co-owner Denny Hamlin appeared uncertain when requested, it seems he’ll depart the No. 67 behind drive the No. 35. However hey, even when that is the case possibly he’ll make historical past once more: The No. 35 has by no means gained a Cup race earlier than both…

Corey Heim, 23XI Racing after 2026 San Diego win