“NASCAR’s Never Going to Make That Change”- Ashamed Denny Hamlin Brutally Slams Truck Driver’s Phoenix Escape, Claims No Gain in Viewership

Denny Hamlin is never far away from controversy. Following the conundrum that ensued in the Truck Series Championship 4 race on Friday, Hamlin has sent out a word of advice for NASCAR to ponder. A spiteful incident between title contenders Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar eclipsed the season finale.

The latest Spire Motorsports recruit has often been chastised for his involvement in intentional wrecks and receives a divisive opinion from the garage. As Denny Hamlin could relate to the whole ongoing discussion, the JGR veteran joined the conversation later on Saturday after the race in Phoenix. Hamlin himself has often been called out by drivers for being unapologetic and denying his involvement in wrecks. However, this time, having looked at the incident as a viewer, he has expressed his desire for NASCAR to prevent untimely and intentional wrecks.

Denny Hamlin distinguishes between hard racing and ‘blatant’ wrecking

With 31 laps left in the race, Corey Heim was leading the title chase. Heim was the best-positioned driver to win the title, running in P5, until Hocevar intervened. A nudge from the #42 Chevy Silverado sent Heim’s No.11 Tundra spinning. Heim’s truck collided with Stewart Friesen’s and even suffered minor damage from the wreck, which he brushed aside to run right back into the race.

The pair met again with three laps to go. What followed was the final straw for Corey Heim. As Hocevar attempted to make a pass on the #11, they came into contact, and Hocevar ran into the wall as a result. The race saw four overtimes as the unrest continued. Former champion Ben Rhodes took advantage of the chaos to make it two for himself.

Following his elimination in Martinsville, Hamlin has lost the chance to fight for another championship on Sunday. From the looks of it, he has also been keeping close tabs on the crash in the Truck Series. Expressing his disappointment in a conversation with Bob Pockrass, he said, “That’s what they do in the local short tracks. I don’t understand. It shouldn’t be that hard. I guess the fine line is, you know, for instance, for Carson, that would be a racing incident.”

“Some bodies are blatant enough that you can see someone’s hit someone, and they kept pushing,” added the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran. “Those are the types of incidents to be penalized. But we are never going to get there. NASCAR’s never going to make that change. My opinion of that is that it’s not even a short-term gain. It sure gets all the people on social media talking, but we are not going to have more viewers because of the chaos that we have created.”

A relaxed approach from NASCAR on such incidents might incentivize drivers to do this more often. Penalties and suspensions could be possible solutions. Hamlin was involved in a similar situation earlier this year when Chase Elliott intentionally hooked the #11 Camry at Charlotte. Elliott faced the consequences and had to miss one race.

Read More: Refusing to Take Names, Denny Hamlin Unleashes Veiled Dig at NASCAR Amidst Truck Series’ Phoenix Shame

Corey Heim accuses Carson Hocevar of repeating his antics time and time again

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A distraught Heim was visibly livid after losing his shot at the championship. Following the race, he did not hold back from slamming the 20-year-old driver for his mistakes. Heim also noted that Hocevar showed no improvement in his approach despite repeated warnings.

“That’s just kind of what he does,” stated Heim. “He’ll wreck you and apologize, and then he’ll do it again. It’s not going to be the last time he does it. Certainly not the first time he’s done it. I’ve known him for a long time.”

While Hocevar was immobilized following the final contact from Heim, he signaled that if he kept going into wrecks like this, that could bite him back in the future. Apologizing for his unruly conduct, the Niece Motorsports driver said,

“My track record, it’s going to kill me. I can’t sit here and say I didn’t mean to. Like honestly, I just messed up. I was just trying really hard. I was blocking and doing everything I could.”

“I just tried to slow him up and messed up. I’m just more mad right now that I cost (Heim) a chance at the championship. I don’t care about the reputation. I just feel bad that I robbed them of that. I just feel sorry for them. I can’t say that … I just messed up.”

Watch This Story: Denny Hamlin: From Underdog to Champion?

With Carson Hocevar set to become a Cup Series driver next season, improvising on this aspect will be crucial for him. Antics like these will eventually earn him a lot of flak from the grid and fans, which could even push him back to the Truck Series.