Kevin Harvick, known for his unfiltered remarks, didn’t hold back on Corey Heim’s tough weekend in Chicago. During his Happy Hour podcast, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion called Heim’s failure to qualify for the Grant Park 165, “a complete disaster.”
Harvick pointed out that Heim only needed to beat one other open car to make the race, but a mistake in qualifying ended his chances before the race even began.
Kevin Harvick Highlights Why the Chicago Qualifying Was a Painful Lesson for Corey Heim
Heim, driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, was knocked out of the qualifying field by Katherine Legge. On his podcast, Harvick pointed out that the big mistake was Heim’s crash in practice, which left him with little track time before qualifying.
“I look at it as a complete disaster for the #67 car and Corey Heim,” Harvick shared. “And I think that’s the coaching that goes into these types of situations in these moments on these street courses, especially in his position. Don’t wreck. You have to beat 1 car. We want you to go fast in the race, but we have to first be in the race… He didn’t get to race, and that was the only reason that he was there.”
“That’s a tough teaching moment,” Harvick added. “But I think a guy like Corey Heim, that is mentally tough like he is, you think that that’ll be a learning moment that he will never forget. The disaster comes from the part of not being able to get all the laps in the race. But, you know, I think that that 90% rule is in effect when you’re in that position in practice and qualifying.”
The No. 67 of @CoreyHeim_ makeraces contact with the wall in qualifying! pic.twitter.com/dACp29Q5dq
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 5, 2025
Heim was one of five drivers trying to make the field as an open car. The others were Will Brown, Austin Hill, Josh Bilicki, and Katherine Legge. Only four could qualify. Brown, Hill, and Bilicki locked themselves in during the first round of qualifying, leaving Heim and Legge fighting for the last spot.
Heim hit the wall in his first qualifying attempt and bent a toe link on the car. His team didn’t have time to fix the damage. Even with the bent suspension part, Heim ran a lap at 92.506 seconds. But it wasn’t enough. Legge ran a lap of 92.368 seconds in the second round and bumped Heim out of the field.
For Katherine Legge, it was a big moment, too. The pressure reminded her of trying to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. On Sunday, with her P19 finish, she became the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2017 to rank in the top 20 of a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Chicago was Legge’s third career Cup Series start. Her 19th-place finish was her best result so far. She finished 30th at Phoenix and 32nd in Mexico earlier this year. At Phoenix, she was taken out in a crash on lap 210.
Heim came to Chicago to gain experience. Instead, he left with a painful lesson, and as Harvick made clear, it’s one he will never forget.
