Top Cup Series drivers did not hold back their criticism for the chaotic finish of the Truck Series finale on, where Carson Hocevar’s collision with Corey Heim snatched away Heim’s chance at the championship. The event stretched 29 laps beyond its intended length, thanks to a staggering four overtimes triggered by relentless crashes.

Martin Truex Jr voiced his disapproval sharply, stating, “I was not impressed. That is not professional auto racing. It’s a joke; they need to fix it,” pinpointing his displeasure towards Hocevar, who later expressed regret for the incident with Heim. Denny Hamlin, while sharing Truex’s dissatisfaction, offered a contrasting viewpoint, seemingly absolving Hocevar of the blame cast upon him.

Denny Hamlin has come to Carson Hocevar’s defense amidst the fallout from a tumultuous finale

The NASCAR Truck Series showdown saw Ben Rhodes jubilantly secure his second championship title amid widespread dismay due to the race’s disorderly nature. With 31 laps remaining, Carson Hocevar, piloting the No. 42 truck, inadvertently collided with Corey Heim’s No. 11 Safelite truck. Heim was sent spinning into Stewart Friesen, who bore the brunt of the impact, effectively sparing Heim from a complete wreck. Although Heim re-entered the race, the incident dashed his championship aspirations, relegating him to an 18th-place finish. In a twist of fate during the race’s final moments, a retaliatory move by Heim pushed Hocevar into the outer wall, inadvertently derailing Grant Enfinger’s championship hopes.

While Hocevar’s past is filled with maneuvers that other drivers have deemed intentional, penalties have been notably absent. Denny Hamlin first described the Truck Finale as “What a sh*t show.” Nevertheless, he pardoned Hocevar in this instance, stating on his Actions Detrimental Podcast, “We watched drivers not only hit the person but then gas up and keep going. Someone even mentioned, like, for an instance, do you call Carson Hovar and Corey Heim, right? No, no, that, that was a racing incident.”

He highlighted the reckless driving seen on restarts, where drivers would bump others and continue pushing until a spinout occurred, saying, “However, what we saw is bad driving on restarts where people jammed it in, ran into someone’s bumper, and then just kept driving until they spun them out. Or the person who ran directly into, I think it was the #25 truck—just deliberately took them out into turn three.”

He further asserted the need for accountability in racing for intentional crashes. “Some of these are blatant enough that you can see that someone hits someone, and they kept pushing. Those are the types of incidents you just, you know, penalize.”

Hamlin even issued a caution to NASCAR regarding potential outcomes similar to the ‘Clash at the Coliseum,’ stressing that such scenarios are bound to occur on other tracks as well unless NASCAR, the governing authority he refers to as the ‘adult in the room,’ steps in to assertively clarify the rules of engagement to the drivers.

Amidst all this, Hamlin also addressed a broader issue, pondering why such incidents are making it challenging for the public to take motorsports seriously.

Watch This Story: Unexpected Allies: NASCAR fans rally behind Denny Hamlin 

Joe Gibbs Racing favorite Denny Hamlin explains that motorsport racing has become a joke to the new drivers

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Hamlin, no stranger to controversy with a history peppered with on-track incidents, including several this year, has noticed a shift in the conversation towards “respect” on the racetrack. Veterans like Kyle Busch and Hamlin himself approach the sport with a classic, perhaps more cautious, style of driving. In contrast, the young guns, such as Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar, are known for their assertive tactics. These up-and-comers aren’t hesitant to engage in fierce competition, occasionally pushing the boundaries of fair play.

Citing the recent tumultuous conclusion of the 2023 Truck Series, Hamlin took to Twitter to express his frustration. He criticized the lack of governance in the Truck Series, suggesting that inadequate regulation and enforcement have tarnished the reputation of NASCAR’s premier events.

Hamlin decried the current state of motorsports, stating, “This is what happens when there’s no rules, no officiating. You get a product like this. “The show” has taken over US Motorsports and why it’s hard to take seriously,” lamenting that the spectacle has overshadowed the sport’s integrity.

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