NASCAR has indefinitely suspended team owner Chad Bryant and Steve Civatarese after they attacked two-time Cup Series winner Corey Heim at a late model race near a Martinsville hot dog stand last weekend.
Both Bryant and Civatarese are banned from all NASCAR events, including the 2027 Martinsville race, and placed on probation for one year.
Bryant was fined $2,000 and must complete NASCAR-approved anger management, while Civatarese received a $1,000 fine.
Five other crew members were fined $500 each and put on probation.
Denny Hamlin Condemns Attack
Denny Hamlin, a prominent Cup Series driver, condemned the actions during his "Actions Detrimental" podcast, calling the attackers "cowards" for ambushing Heim as he left his car and team.
Hamlin criticized NASCAR's regional leadership for allowing those involved to remain near the pit lane and demanded a public statement on their punishments.
"I don't know who's in charge of NASCAR regional, but there's absolutely no way that any of those guys should be in a pit lane for the next year at least," Hamlin added.
He further urged NASCAR to regain control of Martinsville, describing the situation as "spiraling out of control."
"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 said.
Hamlin concluded by stating, "I got no respect for those guys," reinforcing his disapproval of the incident and the parties involved.
