Corey Heim Misses Chicago Race; Katherine Legge Locks in Last Spot

CHICAGO, Illinois — As the Chicago race weekend unfolds, a fierce competition surfaced between five open entries for the final four spots on the grid. In a dramatic showdown, Corey Heim‘s No. 67 Toyota faced off against Katherine Legge‘s No. 78 Chevrolet for the last slot in the race field.

Will Brown, the reigning Supercars champion, qualified in 19th place, while Austin Hill‘s Chevrolet started at 30th. In a surprising turn of events, Heim, who excels in the NASCAR Truck Series, found himself in jeopardy of not qualifying. During his initial run, he hit the wall, bending a toe-link on his car and placing him in serious trouble.

Despite the damage, Heim improved his lap time by four tenths, but it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the race. Legge, however, faced her own challenges. After crashing into tire barriers during practice and brushing the wall in qualifying, she managed to outperform Heim by just over a tenth of a second, securing her single-car team a place in the race.

“I was thinking, way to go showing all my minor indiscretions there,” Legge remarked in an interview with TNT Sports, reflecting on her chaotic day on the track. “It was a lot of pressure to come in with only 20 minutes of practice on a street course where there is no room for error.”

She expressed pride in her team’s efforts, stating, “I actually feel pretty good about it now… We would have been a lot faster had I not kept nicking the walls.” Legge is looking forward to her Cup start on race day.

Previously, Legge has qualified for four Indy 500s but noted the stress of this qualifying experience was greater. “There’s a level of comfort with Indy,” she pointed out. “Here, it’s very much drinking from a fire hose.” Starting 33rd in the 40-car field, Legge aims to navigate the track confidently.

Meanwhile, Heim took to social media to address his disappointment, admitting, “I made a mistake on my first lap and bent the toe link. That’s completely my fault.” He thanked 23XI Racing for providing a strong car capable of qualifying.

This qualifying round highlights the unpredictable nature of NASCAR racing and the intense competition among drivers.