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Inside the growing rivalry between Heim, Hocevar: ‘We don’t like each other’

Alex Cadavid

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Go back two weeks to EchoPark Speedway, and Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar was very candid about his growing collection of rivals during the pre-race show: "They can all stand up to the plate and bring it on ... I don't know if anyone wants that war." After Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it's clear Corey Heim wants the smoke Hocevar throws his way. But to truly understand the rivalry we have on our hands between these two drivers, we have to go back several years to when it was first forged in the Craftsman Truck Series. RELATED: Heim establishes himself as NASCAR's 'Next One' | Heim responds to Hocevar: 'He lost and I won' Back in 2023, Heim and Hocevar found themselves fighting for a Truck Series title at Phoenix Raceway and on Lap 120, Heim passed Hocevar for sixth place -- which made him the highest-running driver eligible to win the championship and provisionally in line to be crowned under that format. Seconds after being cleared by Heim, Hocevar first delivered a bump to the No. 11 Truck, then made contact that sent Heim around, ruining his hopes. Hocevar visibly looked disappointed in himself for spinning Heim and admitted over the radio that his contact was an accident, but mistake or not, Heim wasn’t letting that slide. As the title fight shifted between Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes, Hocevar was mired back late in the race and again had Heim in his sights. This time, it was the No. 42 Truck that took most of the damage as Heim squeezed Hocevar into the fence, getting immediate payback.
Neither walked away with top honors that night, but the feud foundation was laid. Since that fateful night in the desert, both drivers have carved their own path in the sport. Hocevar has grown to embrace his "Hurricane" nature, whether it's ruffling veteran drivers' feathers with daring moves or showing his full, unfltered personality over the radio and in media sessions. He's admitted time and time again that he's willing to go for wins at whatever the cost may be, drawing comparisons to a young Dale Earnhardt. His breakthrough victory at Talladega Superspeedway perfectly encapsulates the Hocevar Experience as he charged to the front late and then delivered a one-of-a-kind celebration. Meanwhile, Heim has demonstrated to be the complete opposite. He finally collected that Truck Series championship last fall -- breaking numerous records along the way -- and inked a deal with 23XI Racing where he will start driving the No. 35 Toyota on a full-time basis next year after serving as the team's development driver. He's shown to be cool, calm and collected not just in the race car, but even outside of it, delivering sharp, straightforward interviews. But time has not healed anything between them. In fact, they have been serving up plenty of beefy appetizers to whet the appetite with the tasty drama that exists between them. At Naval Base Coronado, Hocevar was running second with Heim hounding him for the position, and once again there was no shortage of contact. Heim bumped Hocevar in the chicane at Qualcomm Circuit, sending the No. 77 Chevrolet around and leaving Hocevar with a 19th-place finish after starting on the front row and scoring points in both stages. Heim, of course, went on to score his first career win in San Diego, and soon fans flooded social media to talk about the late contact between the drivers. However, Heim was ready to take exception on X, replying to Hocevar supporters by reiterating Hocevar's own words — "Well, just get the [expletive] out of the way, and there wouldn't be a wreck. You know what I mean? Just move. Just move out of the way." The fallout continued when Hocevar hosted the "Dale Jr. Download" podcast after San Diego and teased Heim about not calling into the weekly winner interview section: "I was excited to do the interview," Hocevar said during the episode. "I was excited to do the winner’s segment here. They must not have cell service in California. Can’t call in?" MORE: Heim, Hocevar square off in Brickyard 400 Sunday's crown-jewel event at Indianapolis was just the latest chapter. Hocevar started the afternoon by claiming the pole for the Brickyard 400, but it wasn't long before he and Heim were sharing the same piece of race track again. During a cycle of green-flag pit stops in Stage 2, Hocevar blended back onto the track directly behind the race-leading Heim, who immediately began aero-blocking to keep the No. 77 Chevrolet pinned behind him. The defensive driving clearly got under Hocevar's skin. A few laps later, as Heim peeled to pit road for service, Hocevar pulled alongside and flashed the middle finger out the window before continuing. Heim ended up with the last laugh, flashing his new Brickyard 400 championship ring on the post-race show before being asked about the incident with Hocevar, saying he "handed him a big fat L." "I'm just a fan, wanted to wave at him," Hocevar told USA Sports. "He's No. 1, he won. It's fun, we don't like each other, but we race really hard, and his stuff is super fast, obviously with the car he's in -- he does a really good job with it. I'm looking forward to when we get our stuff a little better, being in front of him and, you know, maybe holding him up." Heim seemed almost annoyed by the constant push of a rivalry in his post-race presser at Indy, however. “Where did he finish today? … You guys love talking about a guy who finished ninth. I mean, holy crap,” Heim said. “Yeah, I mean, all I did was make sure he stayed behind me, and I did, and I finished in front of him. I don’t worry about a narrative or a genre. Like, he’s got a ton of talent, and he’s going to win a lot of races, and I’m focused on myself and trying to do the same. That’s really all there is to it.” Monday after the race, Heim went on the "Door, Bumper, Clear" podcast and had more words for Hocevar: "In honor of Carson, I've got my ring on my middle finger." A clash between these two in 2027 feels inevitable, but judging by the way things keep escalating, the next chapter probably isn't very far away.