NASCAR
Corey Heim Handed Down Fine, Points Penalty from Phoenix
AVONDALE, Ariz. – NASCAR has slapped Corey Heim with a pair of behavioral penalties stemming from Friday night’s Craftsman Truck Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
Heim has been fined $12,500 and docked 25 points in the Truck Series driver standings. The penalty falls under NASCAR Rule Book Sections 4.4.B & D, referring to the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct.
Heim was involved in a pair of incidents during Friday night’s season finale. The first event, happening on lap 120, saw Heim’s No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota spin after a bump from Championship 4 rival Carson Hocevar. Only 27 laps later, Heim’s truck drifted wide and initiated followup contact with Hocevar’s No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet as both drivers exited turn two.
Heim said post-race that he merely lost control of his damaged truck coincidentally as Hocevar tried passing him.
NASCAR officials did announce on Wednesday however that reviewing the No. 11 team’s radio transmissions showed incriminating evidence for violating the following member guidelines:
- Attempting to manipulate the outcome of the race or championship.
- Wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from Competition as a result.
- Any actions deemed to compromise the safety of an Event or otherwise pose a dangerous risk to the safety of Competitors, Officials, spectators, or others.
Hocevar suffered terminal damage from the second crash, finishing in 29th-place and last of the Championship 4 drivers. Polesitter Heim did continue though, eventually coming home on the lead lap in 18th-place. Hocevar was incredibly self-deprecating in the immediate aftermath and apologetic in post-race comments.
Those results placed Heim third of the Championship 4, behind champion Ben Rhodes and 11 points ahead of Hocevar. The points penalty however relegates Heim to fourth in the revised 2023 Craftsman Truck Series standings.
Heim will return to the Craftsman Truck Series for 2024. TRICON Garage will try again to win the championship that seemingly got away from them. Hocevar meanwhile will move up to the NASCAR Cup Series. He will take over the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet as a rookie.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports
