NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell has made it clear this season that he wants the sport to return to more of its roots that made fans first fall in love with it. It’s safe to say the rivalry between Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar is exactly what the Cup Series needed, and it’s about to get even better.
During Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Heim held off Hocevar to keep him a lap down for multiple laps late in Stage 2. When the No. 67 car finally came off the track to get onto pit road, Hocevar got close to him and flipped him off at 180 mph before taking off back down the track.
Related: Corey Heim’s Car Number for 2027 Revealed
The history between these two dates back to the Craftsman Truck Series, when Heim was racing for his first championship at Phoenix Raceway and had it all taken away from him late when Hocevar spun him.
Fast forward to 2026 and Heim got a bit of payback. In the race at Naval Base Coronado, Heim turned Hocevar and that move later set him up to earn his first Cup Series win. Sunday’s Brickyard 400 just added more fuel to that rivalry.
In his post-race press conference, Heim was asked repeatedly about keeping Hocevar a lap down and getting flipped off by his rival. After multiple questions that had nothing to do with the crown-jewel win, Heim fired back by saying “You guys love talking about a guy who finished ninth.”
The digs at Hocevar didn’t end there. On Monday’s episode of Door, Bumper, Clear, Hocevar donned the 2026 Brickyard 400 winner’s ring on his middle finger.
“In honor of Carson, I’ve got my ring on my middle finger.”
Corey Heim on wearing the Brickyard 400 winner’s ring on his middle finger
Heim shared that he would’ve posted a picture of him flipping the bird with the ring on his middle finger and sending it to Hocevar on Twitter. However, he figured his media team wouldn’t approve it, so he saved it for the podcast.
It’s clear that Hocevar vs. Heim is the rivalry that NASCAR needed, and both young drivers are savvy when it comes to fueling it with social-media jabs and some funny antics on the track and in interviews. Given how both Heim and Hocevar have performed this year, it’s fair to say this will be a rivalry between two of the best NASCAR drivers within a few short years, and that adds to the fun of the sport for fans.
More must-reads:
- Denny Hamlin Adds Fuel to Carson Hocevar-Corey Heim Rivalry with Jabs at Fan Favorite on ‘Actions Detrimental’
- NASCAR Rumors: Early Buzz on Corey Day’s Cup Series Future Amid Hendrick Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch Interest
- NASCAR Silly Season: Latest On Who Will Likely Drive No. 33 Car for Richard Childress Racing in 2027
