NASCAR San Diego takeaways: Corey Heim stuns the field with a win ahead of schedule

Key Points:

• Corey Heim, 23, won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in only his 13th start at the challenging 3.4-mile street course on Naval Base Coronado, showcasing his rising talent ahead of joining 23XI Racing full-time next season.
• Heim passed teammate Tyler Reddick with four laps remaining, causing contact that led to Reddick's flat tire; Reddick acknowledged Heim raced cleanly and finished 25th, tightening the points race with Denny Hamlin.
• Shane van Gisbergen, the race favorite, was taken out in a major crash caused by Austin Hill locking up brakes on a restart, which also involved Connor Zilisch and ended their races prematurely.
• Christopher Bell started the race despite a broken wrist but exited after 12 laps, allowing Brent Crews to take over; however, Crews' car suffered a gearbox failure, resulting in a last-place finish for their team.
• Bubba Wallace overcame a two-lap penalty caused by a loose wheel on pit road to rally back and finish second, though he expressed frustration over the recurring setbacks affecting his team's race outcomes.