It seems like an eternity since Corey Heim made his ARCA Menards Series debut at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway last month – but the wait is nearly over, and Heim will soon saddle in his Chad Bryant Racing prepared Ford Fusion hoping for a stellar performance in his Salem (Ind.) Speedway debut in Sunday afternoon’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 on April 14.
Feeling adequately prepared and schooled about the high-banks of the historic Southern Indiana short track, Heim knows that his No. 22 Speedway Children’s Charities Ford Fusion should be capable of catching the checkered flag in the third ARCA race of the season.
“Looking forward to Salem Speedway this weekend,” said Heim. “It’s a very domineering race track but I feel like it’s a place that should fit into my driving style. It’s a fast place and 200 laps will go quickly, but I think we should be a contender on Sunday and that has me really pumped up.”
Heim recently participated in a private test session at the 0.5-mile oval where Heim spent the day getting up to speed while also working with championship crew chief Paul Andrews on the handling of his Ford Fusion – all knowing that Heim has to be prepared for short and long runs on Sunday.
“The car was pretty balanced,” Heim offered. “We want to be better. We want to be faster – but I feel pretty confident, nonetheless. The guys are bringing me a good car and it’s going to be up to me to make the most of it during the race.”
Hoping to use some of the same principles that propelled him to a fifth-place finish in his ARCA debut at Five Flags, Heim wants to use some of that same mentality on Sunday – but knows that the pace will be fast on Sunday – and that opens up the door for things to change in a hurry.
“We got into a good rhythm at Five Flags – where you could ride for a little bit, but that won’t be the case at Salem – I don’t think,” chatted Heim. “You run 16 or 17 laps around there and you’re more than likely going to be around race cars for the entire race – so you have to be on your game and we have to do a good job to make sure we have a good strategy so we can be at the right place or the right time.”
Car owner Chad Bryant said he was impressed with Heim’s debut and while he showcases a quiet and calm demeanor – that persona proves to be an impressive tactic on the race track.
“Corey flies under the radar and I think he prefers it that way,” added Bryant. “He lets his results speak for himself. He had an exceptional showing in his ARCA debut at Five Flags and I don’t expect any different at Salem this weekend.
“Corey and Paul are connecting on a crew chief – driver level and they are eager to show the world their potential.”
Despite not competing in the season-opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, after two ARCA Menards Series races this season, Heim occupies 11th in the championship standings with 18 races remaining in 2019.
For more o
n Corey Heim, please like him on Facebook (Corey Heim Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@corey.heim) and Twitter (@coreyheim3).
For more on Chad Bryant Racing, please like them on Facebook (Chad Bryant Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@ChadBryantRace). Also, visit the new ChadBryantRacing.com.
The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 (200 laps | 111 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2019 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Apr. 13 with an hour and a half session from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying is set for later in the day at 3:00 p.m. The race in the 67th consecutive ARCA season is set to take the green flag the following day, Sun., Apr. 14 beginning at 2:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on MAVTV, while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).
Chad Bryant Racing PR
