By David Morgan, Associate Editor
Carson Hocevar will have to spend the NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on the sidelines after he was handed a one race suspension by Spire Motorsports on Tuesday.
The suspension stems from Hocevar’s actions during Sunday’s race at Martinsville, in which he brake checked Austin Cindric a number of times, inevitably causing enough damage to the front end of Cindric’s Ford that led to a DNF and 36th place finish for the Team Penske driver.
“NASCAR, what are we doing? Like just weaponizing cars here” Cindric said over the radio following the contact.
Hocevar initially downplayed the incident afterwards following the race, but a review of SMT data showed in real-time the amount of brake force that was being applied when Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet was running in front of Cindric.
“I got full throttled here in the spring and I just think it’s Martinsville,” Hocevar said on the NBC broadcast after Sunday’s race. “I had a lot of fun and I think me and Austin have raced each other really well. Or at least, I’ve pointed him by. His cars have been really, really fast.
“No, I just think that’s just Martinsville and I think we were just having fun.”
Pressed further by other media on pit road, Hocevar maintained his innocence.
“It’s just Martinsville. Sometimes you’re getting hit, sometimes you’re causing it and vice versa. I don’t know. I had fun.”
That in turn led to the question of whether Hocevar should be penalized for the incident and forced Spire’s hand on Tuesday.
“A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours,” said Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson.
“The easy thing would have been to leave this in NASCAR’s hands and let them decide what any penalty should be. To us, however, this isn’t about money or points. We believe in respect. Our integrity matters. This is the right decision for Spire Motorsports.
“Everyone here loves working with Carson, and we’ve enjoyed watching him thrive alongside our team. Sometimes the right decision for someone you care about hurts in the short term. The way Carson conducted himself at Martinsville doesn’t meet the standard we set for our drivers, team members or employees, and there are consequences for that. That doesn’t mean we don’t love him and support him.
“Racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism from everyone who represents Spire Motorsports. We’ll go to Homestead united and compete as an organization. After that, we can get ready for Daytona in February with the right mindset to contend for a championship.”
Hocevar took to social media shortly after the suspension was announced to give his own statement on the incident that led to him missing the first race of his Cup Series career.
“This is an embarrassing day for me. I let the people down that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to drive a Cup car,” said Hocevar.
“I also let down my team, sponsors and fans. I crossed the line with my on-track actions and gave Jeff and Spire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead. I’ll be rooting for the entire organization this weekend and look forward to coming back in 2027 as a better driver, competitor and teammate.”
As a result of Hocevar’s suspension, Justin Haley will take over driving duties for the No. 77 team this weekend at Homestead.
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