The rivalry between Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar added another fiery chapter during Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the pair exchanging aggressive moves on track before Hocevar made headlines for an on-track gesture. Heim responded with a cheeky jab at Hocevar’s gesture after winning his second race of the season as a part-time driver.
As the two battled deep in the field at nearly 180 mph on Lap 91, Hocevar was seen flipping off Heim from his #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet after becoming frustrated during their wheel-to-wheel fight. The moment quickly went viral on social media, further fueling the ongoing tension between the two drivers.
Corey Heim, however, was unfazed by the gesture and had a blunt response after seeing the footage during TNT Sports’ post-race show.
The Spire Motorsports driver aggressively tried to pass Heim to get his lap back. Heim used air manipulation to throw heavy blocks, successfully keeping Hocevar stuck behind him.
The 23XI Racing driver further addressed the intense duel with Hocevar and defended his driving.
Corey Heim ended up winning the historic crown jewel race at Indy, while Hocevar finished 9th.
Corey Heim emerged victorious after executing a bold, aggressive move on his 23XI Racing co-owner, Denny Hamlin, during the final 34-lap green-flag run, then held off the charge of Christopher Bell and Joey Logano to take the prestigious win of his young NASCAR Cup Series career.
He led the 58 laps and crossed the finish line by a margin of 0.287 seconds ahead of Bell to cross the victory line. Heim now has two wins and four top-10 finishes in just 15 Cup Series starts.
Reflecting on his Brickyard 400 victory after the race, Heim said (via NASCAR.com):
Corey Heim is a 2025 NASCAR Truck Series champion and competing part-time with 23XI Racing in the Cup Series this season. The 24-year-old driver will step up to the Cup Series full-time role next year, driving the #35 Toyota for 23XI Racing.
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