MARTINSVILLE, VA – Corey Heim had the lead but the win went to C.E. Falk, III.
For the third time in his Late Model Stock Car career, Heim was not credited with the result he got on track. When the caution came out, NASCAR reverted to the last completed lap. Falk beat Heim to the line for the restart in overtime which gave Falk the win. This came weeks after being stripped of two wins at South Boston Speedway.
“Everytime we come to a Late Model Stock race, so far we’ve had an amazing car, great job by all of my guys,” Heim told Race22.com. “They gave me a hell of a racecar tonight. I felt like I ran a really good race, I was there at the end. I won by four different reasons. The 02 jumped the start, I led to the caution, you can tell all the people here think I won. It’s whatever. It’s one of those deals again from South Boston.”
Despite being upset about not getting the win he felt he deserved, he took his second place finish in stride.
“I’m mad but coming home P2 isn’t something to be disappointed about,” Heim said. “It just sucks that we can’t get our hands on the grandfather clock and that $25K. I mean coming form 30th and wrecking in our heat and making my way all the way back through the field, nothing to be disappointed about. All these guys on the crew, thank you so much for all your help.”
Car owner Lee Pulliam, however, was a little more vocal about the call to freeze the field at the last completed lap, not when the caution came out.
“The kid drove an awesome race,” Pulliam remarked. “If the field was frozen with the way they crossed the line, then why didn’t I finish third? I think I was third or fourth when I crossed the finish line. That’s what I don’t understand. I ought to be up here in tech in fourth place if that’s how they’re going to do it. If the field was frozen when they threw the yellow flag, then Corey Heim’s the winner and I finished wherever I finished tore all to hell.”
Pulliam left Martinsville with a sour taste.
“So many screwed up things that went on this weekend,” Pulliam stated. “Between motors, motor combinations, I don’t know. This is probably the worst Martinsville event I’ve ever been to. I love this race. It’s my favorite race of the year. It was a piss poor event if you ask me.”
Lynn Carroll addressed both the finish of the race and the rules change in a combative 16-minute press conference after the race. Carroll ultimately said the rules regarding the finish go by the NASCAR WHELEN All-American Series rulebook, and the rule changes during the weekend occurred because the weather cancellations of testing sessions put them in a box.