Craftsman Truck Series driver Corey Heim of was handed a penalty by NASCAR on Wednesday for his actions during the season-ending race at Phoenix Raceway last weekend.
Corey Heim’s chances of winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship were dealt a major blow after Carson Hocevar spun him during Friday’s final race at Phoenix Raceway. However, in retaliation Heim proceeded to eliminate Hocevar.
Heim managed to secure a spot in the top twenty, finishing eighteenth, but third in the championship behind Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes due to a plethora of overtimes and other crashes. However, the second clash sidelined Hocevar, who placed 29th out of 36 trucks.
NASCAR has now handed a penalty to Heim after the incident as the driver was docked 25 points in the Truck Series driver standings and was also fined $12,500. The penalty is covered by NASCAR Rule Book Sections 4.4.B & D, which make reference to the Member Code of Conduct for NASCAR.
In interviews conducted after the race, Heim stated that he had lost control of his damaged truck while Hocevar was trying to pass him. However, a review of the No. 11 team’s radio transmissions by NASCAR officials on Wednesday revealed that Heim had broken the member guidelines, particularly in three different rule book sections.
Heim’s reasoning was clearly rejected by NASCAR, which penalized him for “wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from Competition as a result.”
Given that both drivers participated in the Championship Round, “attempting to manipulate the outcome of the Race or championship” is also listed in the rulebook as an underlying cause.
Heim’s results put him in third place out of the four drivers who could win the title after champion Ben Rhodes and 11 points ahead of Hocevar. But owing to the points deduction, Heim drops to fourth place behind Hocevar in the final Craftsman Truck Series standings.
