NASCAR officials have laid down the law following a chaotic weekend at Martinsville Speedway, issuing multiple heavy penalties in the wake of violent altercations after the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 late model event on Saturday night.
The trouble started right after the checkered flag when reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Corey Heim, driving the No. 22 for Nelson Motorsports, crashed in Turn 1 with Treyten Lapcevich, who was behind the wheel of Chad Bryant Racing's No. 77. Heim had spent a large portion of the race leading before losing the top spot to eventual winner Caden Kvapil, eventually battling hard with Treyten Lapcevich late in the race for the runner-up position. That intense battle spilled over immediately after the finish, resulting in members of the Chad Bryant Racing team physically attacking Heim in the pit area.
Now, the hammer has dropped on the aggressors. Team owner Chad Bryant faces the most severe discipline, slapped with a $2,000 fine, an indefinite suspension from NASCAR, and a suspension from the 2027 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville. Bryant will also serve a one-year NASCAR probation and is required to complete anger management training through an approved NASCAR program. Two of his crew members, Steven Civatarese and Ryden Lapcevich, were caught in the crosshairs as well. Civatarese received a $1,000 fine, an indefinite suspension from NASCAR, a suspension from the 2027 ValleyStar event, and a one-year probation. Ryden Lapcevich—younger brother to Treyten—was fined $500 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2027. All three violated Sections 12-6.1C & 12-6.1C2 of the NASCAR Rule Book regarding member-to-member confrontation with physical violence.
Heim, who also took NASCAR Cup Series victories at Naval Base Coronado and Indianapolis Motor Speedway this season, has kept quiet formally but made light of the chaos on social media. By Monday, he revealed in an X post that he had actually acquired the sign from the Martinsville Speedway hot dog stand right where the fight with Bryant's crew went down.
That wasn't even the only brawl of the night. An entirely separate altercation broke out following the conclusion of the second heat race on Saturday, prompting four additional penalties for behavioral violations under Sections 12-6.1C & 12-6.1C2. Dylan Jenks and Ryan Burrow each copped $500 fines alongside probation running until Dec. 31, 2027. Meanwhile, Brad Housewright and Chase Burrow were each handed $250 fines and identical probation terms stretching to the end of 2027.
