NASCAR has taken action after a dramatic altercation at Martinsville Speedway involving rising star and new 23XI Racing rookie Corey Heim. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, called on NASCAR to punish those involved in a very one-sided fight.
After an altercation with Treyten Lapcevich at the end of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 (a major late model race that is part of NASCAR Regional)and even greater contact that followed after the checkered flag, Heim was confronted by members of Lapcevich’s Chad Bryant Racing (CBR) team. Bryant himself was among those who physically attacked Heim.
They punched and kicked Heim several times next to the track’s hot dog stand, and Heim did not fight back.
Following the altercation, NASCAR chose to indefinitely suspend team owner Chad Bryant and CBR crew member Steven Civitarese for their roles in the fight. Additionally, Bryant was fined $2,000 and Civitarese was fined $1,000, with both placed on probation for a full year.
NASCAR also announced that Bryant and Civitarese were suspended from the 2027 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville.
Additionally, Bryant will be required to complete mandatory anger management training through a NASCAR-approved program if he ever wishes to be reinstated.
NASCAR also penalized Ryden Lapcevich, brother of Treyten (who drove the CBR entry and was not involved in the fight). Ryden was fined $500 and placed on probation until the end of the 2027 season.
Other penalties
The sanctions also went beyond Heim’s altercation. There was a fight after the qualifying races between drivers Brad Houseright and Chad Burrow, leaving one driver bloodied. Both were fined $250 and placed on probation until the end of the 2027 season. Burrow-affiliated crew members Ryan Burrow and Dylan Jenks were also fined $500 each and placed on probation until the end of the 2027 season. Unlike the Bryant/Heim deal, no one was suspended following this clash.
In total, seven different people were fined and two were suspended following these two altercations.
On his podcast, Harmful actionsHamlin called the CBR team members who ambushed Heim “fucking cowards,” taking issue with the way they cornered and confronted the new winner of NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 once he was isolated from the rest of his team.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5-minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com team
Gn sports
