Corey Heim’s trip to Martinsville last weekend ended with a second-place finish and a violent confrontation after the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday. An on-track clash with Chad Bryant Racing driver Treyten Lapcevich during the race turned into an ugly brawl when members of the team attacked Heim.
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Lapcevich has now spoken up on the incident, making his stance clear in a statement posted on X.
“What happened with Corey after the race was wrong, and it should not have happened. While I was not involved in the incident, I want to be clear that I do not condone any actions that took place,” Lapevich said.
“No matter the circumstances, frustration from a race never justifies putting your hands on another competitor,” he added in the same statement.
The incident was set up by what happened on the race track. Heim bumped into Lapcevich on the final lap of a Late Model race. His car went over the Canadian driver’s car, which resulted in heavy damage for both.
Soon afterward, team owner Chad Bryant and several crew members confronted Heim near a hot-dog stand. The incident was particularly striking given their professional relationship: Heim had made his ARCA debut in a car owned by Bryant. One of the men pinned him against a signboard while another threw several punches at him.
“Emotions can run high after a race, and I was certainly frustrated and upset following Saturday night. I planned on having a conversation with Corey following the race; however, there is a clear line between being angry about what happens on the racetrack and allowing that frustration to become physical,” the No. 77 driver continued.
He also expressed relief that Heim was able to leave without a serious injury. That could have made matters a lot worse, especially considering the NASCAR community is firmly against crew members getting involved in fights between drivers.
Denny Hamlin, whose 23XI Racing team Heim will drive for full-time from 2027, criticized the Chad Bryant Racing crew members on his Actions Detrimental podcast earlier this week.
“I mean, just complete classlessness from Chad Bryant, the owner, and his team. To wait on Corey, listen to what they did. Those f***** cowards waited for Corey Heim to leave his car and leave his team, and then jumped him while he was on the way to his hauler,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said.
Hamlin also called for NASCAR to take strict action against those involved. He doesn’t want them in the pit lane for at least a year.
“I want them to say publicly what they do to them, and if it’s nothing, I will have a major problem, but none of those cowards should be in a pit lane in the foreseeable future,” Hamlin added.
For Lapcevich, the controversy is no longer just about who was responsible for the incident. His statement focuses on separating the frustrations of competition from the actions that followed after the race.
The Martinsville weekend was supposed to be about the race itself, but the post-race confrontation became one of the event’s biggest talking points. Heim ended the night with a second-place finish and a confrontation, while Lapcevich’s latest comments seek to distance himself from the actions that followed.