NASCAR just dropped the hammer, handing out indefinite suspensions to two people involved in the attack on 23XI Racing driver Corey Heim at Martinsville Speedway. Team owner Chad Bryant and crew member Steven Civitarese are officially out of NASCAR events, and they won’t even be back for next year’s prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300. This isn’t some slap on the wrist. This is NASCAR making a huge statement after a wild night at Martinsville that spiraled completely out of control.
Martinsville Erupts: From Track to Pit Road Mayhem
It all went down during the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 on Saturday, September 26. Heim, who’s already shown he’s a force with two Cup Series wins this season part-time, grabbing checkered flags at the Brickyard 400 and Naval Base Coronado, finished a strong second that night to Caden Kvapil. But apparently, Treyton Lapcevich wasn’t happy with how Heim raced him. Instead of settling it on the track, Lapcevich drove right into Heim’s right side during the cool-down lap in Turn 1. Heim’s No. 22 Toyota went airborne, climbing over Lapcevich’s No. 77 machine. Both cars were basically destroyed. You think it ends there? Nope. After they parked on pit road, Treyton Lapcevich was making a beeline to confront Heim, but team owner Chad Bryant actually stepped in and stopped him. Fast forward a few minutes later, as Heim was heading off pit road to his hauler, and *that’s* when the wheels came off. Video captured Bryant, along with two other crew members from the team, throwing punches toward Heim. This escalated things from an on-track incident to an outright physical assault.
The League Drops the Hammer: Fines, Probation, and Indefinite Bans
NASCAR wasn’t playing around with this one, announcing their disciplinary actions on Tuesday, September 29. Seven people got hit with penalties for the brawls at Martinsville. Chad Bryant, the guy who owns Chad Bryant Racing, got slapped with a $2,000 fine and has to complete NASCAR-approved anger management training. Steven Civitarese, the crew member, was fined $1,000. Both are suspended indefinitely and are banned from next year’s ValleyStar Credit Union 300, which is one of the most prestigious late-model stock-car races in the whole sport. That’s a huge deal. But the discipline didn’t stop there. Dylan Jenks and Ryan Lapcevich also got hit with $500 fines each for their part in that post-race scuffle with Heim. And for a *separate* fight that happened in the garage area between the heat races that Saturday, Brad Housewright was fined $250, Chase Burrow got a $250 fine, and Ryan Burrow was fined $500. Every single one of those seven people on the penalty sheet? They’re all on probation for a full year. This is NASCAR saying loud and clear that kind of behavior won’t fly.
This whole situation is a stark reminder of the intense rivalries and emotions that run through racing. With such severe penalties handed down, especially the indefinite suspensions and year-long probations, it sends a clear message about what’s expected from teams and drivers moving forward. Everyone will be watching how the sport handles these kinds of flare-ups, but for now, the message is out: keep the fighting on the track, not in the pits.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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