Late contact lifts Corey Heim to Cup win, sparks backlash

Corey Heim’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory came with fresh controversy and a renewed feud with Carson Hocevar, after late contact in San Diego reshaped the finish and set off debate over how the race was decided. Heim made contact with Hocevar in the final laps while they were fighting for position, spinning Hocevar and clearing the way for Heim to pull away and beat Tyler Reddick for the win. Hocevar was left 19th after the incident, and the result quickly drew backlash online, especially from Hocevar supporters upset with how the race ended.

The confrontation revived a rivalry that dates to the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series championship race at Phoenix. Heim said the tension started there, when a Hocevar-caused wreck damaged his title hopes, and said retaliation later followed. After San Diego, Heim said he did not hate Hocevar personally, but no longer respected him as a driver and intended to race him hard going forward as both continued in Cup. Hocevar called the latest clash “four years coming,” later asked Denny Hamlin for Heim’s phone number, and said Heim knows how to make the most of strong equipment.

Hocevar also criticized the way the final laps unfolded, saying Tyler Reddick gave Heim too much room and that the finish made the win seem less meaningful and hurt NASCAR’s credibility. Reddick, who remained the Cup Series points leader with five wins, said he had no regrets and was giving Heim the same respect Heim had shown him. Kenny Wallace later defended Heim on his Koffee with Kenny podcast, criticizing fans for hypocrisy as the debate over the finish continued.