When it comes to the last lap of a superspeedway race, Corey Heim isn’t going to apologize.
He’s going to go wherever “my best interest(s)” lay. He’s going for it.
That was the impression I got from the pit-road interview by the Toyota development and Sam Hunt Racing driver on Saturday (Sept. 7) at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Honestly, I did a little mental fist pump for him.
“I came here to win the race, and for a team like Sam Hunt Racing to have an opportunity at their first win,” Heim said. “I want to give them that opportunity.”
He wanted to win, regardless of whether one of the cars in front of him — driven by Chandler Smith — had the same manufacturer logo as his.
In the pursuit of Austin Hill and a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Heim, running in third coming out of turn 4, elected to push Hill in the high line coming to the white flag instead of Smith on the low line.
“He had no run or no momentum, so why go to the bottom at that point?” asked Heim, who actually wound up finishing fifth behind Smith after Hill forced him into the wall.
“It was in my best interest to try to stay high,” said Heim, who tried to pass Hill on the outside in turn 2 — and failed — instead of dropping low in front of Smith, who was already behind Parker Kligerman in fourth.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Smith wasn’t pleased.
“I expected my Toyota teammate to come with me,” Smith said.
I think someone needed to remind Smith that it was the *last lap*.
If I could wave a magic wand when the white flag is waving on a NASCAR race, I would do one of two things: either make the manufacturer symbols on every car disappear or have each driver temporarily forget who they drive for.
It’s kind of absurd, but this was the second time in three weeks that someone got unjustly criticized for what they did on the last lap of a superspeedway race.
The first time it was for Parker Retzlaff at Daytona International Speedway.
Making just his second career NASCAR Cup Series start, the 21-year-old had the audacity to stick to Harrison Burton‘s rear bumper on the final lap of the race instead of dropping into the lower line behind Christopher Bell and fellow Chevrolet driver Kyle Busch.
When the checkered flag fell, Burton earned his first career Cup win and a playoff spot. Busch was second and eventually missed the playoffs a week later.
Someone one wasn’t happy.
Chevrolet.
Retzlaff…
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