Corey Heim spoke in a calm manner but his message to Layne Riggs was clear after Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
“You’re racing like a (expletive) idiot,” Heim told Riggs on pit road. “Calm down or else someone’s going to take care of you.”
Heim then walked away before Riggs could offer a rebuttal.
Heim, a 23XI Racing reserve driver who made his first Cup start of the season last week at Kansas, was frustrated after seeing another Truck victory go away this season.
Heim led on the last lap of overtime when Riggs dived low into Turn 1 and came up the track beside Heim in Turn 2. Heim spun. Riggs and Chandler Smith got by. Smith passed Riggs in Turn 3 to win the race. Riggs finished second. Heim, who led a race-high 162 laps, finished 17th.
“Just scum racing on his part,” Heim told Motor Racing Network about Riggs. “Did it to me earlier in the race and didn’t learn his lesson. I’ve raced him so clean throughout my years. I just continuously get used up by him.”
Heim later told FS1: “I got really loose into (Turn) 3 (on the previous lap). We struggled being loose on the short runs and he had an opportunity to wreck me.”
Riggs told MRN: “We’re green-white-checkered racing at North Wilkesboro at the end. I wasn’t going to get to him at all. He had the race won. Coming to the white (flag), we went down to (Turns) 3 and 4 and he got really free getting into 3 and opened the bottom up. I drove up under him.
“We got side-by-side on the frontstretch. I dove it in there on the bottom and tried to kind of slide job him. Didn’t make it happen. It’s disappointing. ... A lot of drama at short track racing. I’m out for me and my team. I want what’s best for us.”
