The Truck Series finale in Phoenix was an unpleasant gift that keeps on giving. A season-long anticipation had built to witness a champion emerge. Instead, viewers watched with horror as Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim crashed and burned with an immature disdain for the invaluable stakes at hand. 

Unsurprisingly, the racing community registered its unanimous disapproval of the juvenile antics of the two promising Championship 4 contenders. Not one to shy away from voicing his experienced censure, Dale Earnhardt Jr, joined NASCAR spotter Freddie Kraft, in admonishing the squabbling drivers.

Dale Earnhardt convinced Grant Enfinger was dealt an unfair hand in Phoenix

After four overtime restarts and an additional 29 laps, Ben Rhodes was finally awarded the 2023 season’s throne. In a chaotic turn of events that warranted suspended disbelief, Rhodes was not the fastest driver at the Phoenix Raceway. The #99 Ford driver of ThorSport Racing was, simply put, the last man standing on the field. When the winningest drivers Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim got each other eliminated from the title contention, racing excerpts were quick to hold Hocevar and his reckless run at fault. 

However, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, refused to let Heim walk away unscathed. And Dale Jr reaffirmed his unconventional stand.

“Heim’s retaliation [to Hocevar] cost [Grant] Enfinger the championship,” Junior declared in his podcast, the Dale Jr Download. Although Hocevar initiated the on-track tussle by spinning Heim around, their title hopes were truly crushed when Heim retaliated with 3 laps remaining. Not only did the collision extensively damage their respective trucks, but the ensuing restarts also dashed Grant Enfinger’s checkered chances. Ultimately, the remaining contenders Enfinger and Rhodes began a one-lap dash, far more respectful than the rest of the race. 

Despite his earlier assertion, Junior was not too impressed with Hocevar either. He admitted, “Carson started it. Heim doesn’t do what he did on Lap 4 if Carson doesn’t do what he does. And Carson has this reputation of doing this. So I don’t know that I can say one’s worse than the other. I think they’re bad equal.” 

Interestingly, the duo adopted a drastically different position after the race. While Hocevar was‌ visibly repentant, Heim refused any wrongful intent behind his late-race retaliation.

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Carson Hocevar will be driving in the Cup Series for Spire Motorsports next season. Even prior to the backlash received from the veteran Cup drivers, the #77 driver apologized for his rash actions. On the other hand, perhaps fearing repercussions, Corey Heim maintained his crash with Hocevar was accidental and expressed his disappointment at the resulting race failure.

But the governing body refused to take Heim’s testimony into account and meted out sanctions based on their observations. While Hocevar had aggressively attempted to shove aside Heim in the heat of the battle, the latter’s counter-attack appeared far more calculative.

As a result, the #11 driver was heavily penalized for his actions on the tri-oval. NASCAR accorded a $12,500 fine to Corey Heim and deducted 25 points from the driver, negatively affecting his final standing. 

Eventually, the officials also agreed with the apt assessment by Dale Earnhardt Jr and set an example to other drivers against this unprofessional behavior for all future races. 

Despite Being NASCAR’s Face for 15 Years, Dale Earnhardt Jr Feels the Need to “Earn His Place”