Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar have already developed one of NASCAR’s most talked-about rivalries, and if anyone thought the tension had cooled after their latest run-in, Heim has made it clear that isn’t the case. While he stopped short of declaring an all-out feud, the young Toyota driver admitted that past events have permanently changed how he intends to race Hocevar whenever they share the track.

Recently appearing on Jeff Gluck’s podcast, Heim explained that, although the two haven’t raced against each other frequently over the past three years, one particular moment continues to dominate his mindset regarding the Spire Motorsports driver.

He was referring to the 2023 championship race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where Hocevar took him out of contention for the title.

Heim said that the incident is something he will always remember, acknowledging he has never truly let go of the grudge, as he stated, “I mean, he wiped me out for a championship. So I’m always going to kind of hold that grudge against him.” He admitted he reacted by wrecking Hocevar in retaliation that day.

“He wiped me out for a championship.”

Corey Heim doesn’t hate Carson Hocevar, but he’s not cutting him a break on the track anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/4QLVZpU5Sf

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) June 25, 2026

Their latest on-track encounter at San Diego was seen as payback by many, but Heim insisted he never intended to spin Hocevar during Sunday’s race. However, he also admitted he wasn’t upset seeing Hocevar lose control after the contact.

At the same time, Heim drew a clear distinction between racing and personal feelings. He stressed that he has no personal hatred toward Hocevar and even joked that he isn’t the type to confront him in everyday life.

“I don’t hate him as a person or anything. Like, I’m not going to walk up to him at a grocery store and try to fight him or nothing like that. You know what I mean? But I’m never going to cut him any slack. You know what I mean? But I’m not sitting here, like, pissed off in my sleep about at the same time. So I think it’ll be fun to watch. You know, I don’t foresee it getting crazy at Chicago in my next race or anything.”

Corey Heim believes Carson Hocevar is funny

In fact, outside the race car, he believes Hocevar is funny and seems to like his personality, acknowledging the large fan following he has built. The issue, Heim emphasised, exists solely on the racetrack.

That, however, doesn’t mean the rivalry is disappearing anytime soon. Heim made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of giving Hocevar any extra room in future battles. He expects the feeling to be mutual, believing both drivers will race each other harder than anyone else. Because neither is likely to back down

Heim suggested that occasional incidents are almost inevitable whenever they find themselves battling for position. He doesn’t necessarily expect fireworks every single weekend, including their next meeting at Chicago, but he also isn’t expecting either driver to suddenly become more accommodating.

While Heim does not carry any personal vendetta off the track, the competitive relationship has fundamentally changed. He respects Hocevar as an individual, but he doesn’t respect the way he races. As a result, he openly admitted he has no plans to race Hocevar with any special courtesy going forward.

And that distrust means every future battle between the two young stars is likely to carry the intensity fans have been craving.