AVONDALE, Ariz. — A remorseful Carson Hocevar said he “messed up” in turning fellow Craftsman Truck series championship contender Corey Heim late in Friday night’s race at Phoenix Raceway, costing Heim a chance at the title.
Heim was in no mood for apologies after finishing 18th and watching Ben Rhodes win his second series title.
“That’s just kind of what he does,” Heim said of Hocevar, who will race in Cup next year for Spire Motorsports. “He’ll wreck you and apologize and then he’ll do it again. It’s not going to be the last time he does it. Certainly not the first time he’s done it. I’ve known him for a long time.”
Heim was running fifth — the top-running title contender — with 31 laps left when contact from Hocevar spun him. Hocevar was running underneath Heim and hit the left rear of Heim’s truck, spinning it into the truck of Stewart Friesen. Heim’s truck suffered damage but continued.
Asked what he would say to Heim, Hocevar said: “He should win the championship, man. He should win. I didn’t want to do that at all.”
Hocevar than noted his reputation for wrecking others. NASCAR held Hocevar for two laps in the spring Martinsville race after he attempted to wreck Taylor Gray. Hocevar has been involved in other incidents that did not lead to a penalty but raised questions in the garage.
“My track record, it’s going to kill me,” Hocevar said. “I can’t sit here and say I didn’t mean to. … Like honestly, I just messed up. I was just trying really hard. I was blocking and doing everything I could. I just tried to slow him up and messed up.”
Carson Hocevar hits Corey Heim! 😳
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Heim said: “Every guy on Sunday is going to see that and understand that they’re going to be racing against him like that.”
Asked about his concerns about his reputation, Hocevar said: “I’m just more mad right now that I cost (Heim) a chance at the championship. I don’t care about the reputation. I just feel bad that I robbed them of that. I just feel sorry for them. I can’t say that … I just messed up.”
When Hocevar attempted to pass Heim three laps from the scheduled end, there was contact, sending Hocevar into the wall and the race into the first of four overtimes.
Heim denied that he retaliated.
“(I) had a lot of right rear damage and was pretty much out-of-control free, so as soon as (Hocevar), really he was the third one on the outside and I about wrecked every time,” Heim said. “Then, by the time he finally got there, I just spun out. With him on my door, I lost all my sideforce and lost control. So super unfortunate.”
Thoughts on Corey Helm’s move on Carson Hocevar?#Championship4
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The incident came as Grant Enfinger led the other three title contenders and was headed to his first championship. He lost that advantage in overtime and finished one spot behind Rhodes, who was fifth, in the fourth and final overtime.
Asked if they felt like the championship was stolen from them, both Heim and Enfinger, said yes.
“I feel like we had it in our grasp, I felt like we had it in control until that caution comes out,” Enfinger said of the caution for the second incident between Heim and Hocevar.