NASCAR kicked off racing action in Indianapolis this weekend with Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The TSport 200 saw Corey Heim and Christian Eckes bump into each other on the 0.6-mile-long short track facility.
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While Ty Majeski won the race outright, Heim and Eckes’ run-in cost the TRICON Garage driver dearly as Heim finished in P17 after damage sustained from the contact meant the #11 Toyota Tundra driver had to pit for repairs.
Tight racing between Corey Heim and Christian Eckes that led to a heated moment under caution: https://t.co/hfMznF6mvU pic.twitter.com/3Q056wi8Zf
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 20, 2024
Contact was made between the two after Eckes ran Heim close to the outside wall, prompting him to take evasive action. As a result, both drivers were seen rubbing each other and banging doors as they went down the back straightaway at IRP.
After the initial contact, Corey Heim made sure to make his displeasure with Christian Eckes evident. He swerved towards the #19 Chevrolet Silverado driver under caution as sparks flew from underneath his damaged truck. While no evident contact was made as the yellow flag flew, it was clear both drivers disagreed with each other’s racing etiquette.
Corey Heim and Christian Eckes talk it out. https://t.co/GIv7suv4sd pic.twitter.com/FxTko7segW
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 20, 2024
The Truck Series duo were also seen exchanging a few words after the race, talking about how Heim felt he was run out of room on the exit when Eckes and the #11 made contact. The exchange seemed rather civil, with no signs of an altercation developing.
What did both drivers have to say?
Eckes elaborated on his side of the story with Corey Heim after finishing in the runner-up spot on Friday. Discussing how he misjudged his exit on the backstretch of the short track venue, Eckes said in a post-race interview, “He was upset, he should be. I don’t know if it ruined their night or not. I just misjudged it on my end and it’s not like it was intentional or anything like that.”
Heim also spoke about the incident that eventually relegated him to a P17 finish on Friday and added, “I had to turn away from the wall to not knock the fence down. I mean, there’s minimal contact but that’s detrimental to our night so I wanted to talk to him about it.”
He added, “I don’t think he intended to but he’s always racing pretty tight. I told him to have some common courtesy and give me an extra lane next time and he said okay so we’ll move on”
While the incident on track as mentioned by Heim himself involved minimal contact, raised tempers, and a possible shot at victory taken away from the TRICON Garage driver meant situations outside the car could have easily heated up. It remains to be seen how both parties tweak their racing styles and aggression levels around each other going forward.
