Carson Hocevar (Right)-Image Credit-IMAGO / Icon Sportswire Corey Heim (Left)-Imago Credit- IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Carson Hocevar (Right)-Image Credit-IMAGO / Icon Sportswire Corey Heim (Left)-Imago Credit- IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
From racing in quarter midgets to battling in the Cup Series, the Hocevar-Heim rivalry has come a long way. And the Brickyard race made sure to maintain that.
The incident took place during the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after Corey Heim had to let his 23XI team owner, Denny Hamlin, through. Just moments later, on lap 91, Hocevar pulled up side by side with Heim and flipped him the bird.
In his post-race interview, when asked by the media why the No. 77 Spire Motorsports driver gave Heim the tall finger.
"I’m just a fan, wanted to wave. He’s number one. He won,” Hocevar said during the interview. (via NASCAR. com).
"It’s fine. We don’t like each other, but we race really hard and his stuff’s super-fast, obviously. Yeah, the car he’s in, but he does a really, really good job with it. I’m looking forward to, when we get our stuff a little better, being in front of him, and maybe holding him off."
FORT WORTH, TX - MAY 03: Carson Hocevar 77 Spire Motorsports Spectrum Chevrolet waives to fans during driver introductions before the Wurth 400 in the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX. Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAY 03 NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260503024
FORT WORTH, TX - MAY 03: Carson Hocevar 77 Spire Motorsports Spectrum Chevrolet waives to fans during driver introductions before the Wurth 400 in the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX. Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAY 03 NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260503024
Recently, the two tangled at Naval Base Coronado during the final stage, where Heim and Hocevar made contact, which spun the No. 77 around.
Coming back to this incident, it has sparked a lot of debate among NASCAR fans if the gesture was warranted.
NASCAR fans give their take on the Hocevar-Heim incident
The recent rivalry between Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim dates back to 2023. The most famous incident happened at the Truck Series Championship, where Carson Hocevar spun out Corey Heim during the race at Phoenix Raceway.
One fan blamed the No. 67 23XI driver, arguing that Heim has not been able to shake off their incidents from the past. They commented,
"Heim is such a baby, Hocevar moved on long ago but Heim is still racing him dirty every chance he gets and acting like there's beef. And he's still crying about it in interviews all these years later."
Another fan defended Carson Hocevar as he argued that Corey Heim is frustrated due to Hocevar’s popularity among the fans.
"@CoreyHeim_ is just mad because fans actually cheer for @CarsonHocevar any chance they get. No one else gets roars from the crowd like Carson does, and it’s rare in nascar these days. Carson is building up the sport, and he hasn’t even peaked yet."
While some sided with Hocevar, a fan defended Heim, claiming that the 23XI driver had the upper hand in the whole incident.
"Corey Heim has mentally owned that fraud."
A fan also suggested that the No. 77 driver's actions were intentional and designed to generate a buzz. They wrote,
"Even if he wasn’t mad, he still would’ve done this just because he knows it’ll be on TV and people will like it. He’s a WWE character."
One fan embraced the brewing rivalry between Heim and Hocevar. They commented,
"Heim vs Hocevar is the rivalry NASCAR NEEDS, and NEEDS SO BADLY."
What did you think about this incident between Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Chionia Libania Colaco
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason