EXCLUSIVE: Grant Enfinger Opens Up About the Hocevar-Heim Truck Championship Debacle That Was a “Hit” to NASCAR’s Quality

The 2023 NASCAR Truck Series finale was an absolute disaster. Yes, Ben Rhodes winning the title was a beautiful moment, but it is hard to forget everything that had transpired during the race. For starters, Grant Enfinger seemed all set to become a Truck Series champion for the first time in his career. However, an on-track altercation between Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim robbed him of the opportunity. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the former GMS Racing driver spoke about that fateful day in Phoenix.

Grant Enfinger expresses disappointment with Truck Series finale drama

When the infamous altercation took place, Grant Enfinger was ahead of the other playoff drivers in P3. With just 4 laps remaining, it seemed like the veteran racer would clinch his first-ever Truck Series victory. But his dreams soon turned to dust as Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim indulged in a wreck fest. At one point during the race, the driver of the #42 spun the #11 truck around, effectively taking him out of contention for the win. Frustrated, Heim took matters into his own hands as he absolutely destroyed the #42 truck with just 4 laps to go, bringing the race to a halt. 

Several weeks have passed since and Enfinger has had time to sit with what transpired, and it is safe to say that the 38-year-old is not happy about it. In the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the Truck Series racer opened up about the experience.

“The way everything transpired in that race was pretty disappointing to me. Some of these races turn into chaos in the end. A lot of it is the package we’re dealt with and a lot of it is in our hands as drivers, but it’s incredibly difficult to pass once you get out going after a restart and such. Obviously, Carson got into Corey and he felt like he was wronged there and then he goes and intentionally wrecks Carson back there with a few laps to go. Obviously, manipulated the outcome of the race,” Enfinger said.

However, despite not winning the title, the 38-year-old was full of praise for his former team as he also mentioned how the altercation affected the sport. 

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Ex-GMS Racing man hails former team’s resolve

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Let’s face it, the veteran racer was just unlucky in Phoenix. A single unfavorable result takes nothing away from the work he and his team had put in all year long. Talking about the same, Enfinger explained how the situation ended up going against him while he appreciated his team.

“I guess we ended up on the bad side of that but our destiny was still in our control somewhat after that point and then it lines up for a lot of green and white checkers and we got sandwiched in a 4-wide battle there for the lead and ended up getting a lot of damage and at that point, restarting at the back…chaos after chaos and restart after restart and we still ended up almost getting back to the lead there in the end. Kind of a testament to our entire season,” Enfinger said. 

Mentioning how the finale debacle put a dent on the quality of the sport, the racer also credited his team for not giving up throughout the whole season.

“These guys never gave up. Us as a group and us as a team never gave up all year long and yet it didn’t end up how we wanted it to and it’s a shame. I feel like us as truck racers and the quality of our sport, I think, took a hit that night,” he added.

From his comments in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, it may be concluded that while Grand Enfinger has his disappointment with the 2023 Truck Series finale, the veteran was proud of his and his team’s efforts. That is the mark of a great driver indeed.

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