NASCAR
Carson Hocevar Suspended by Spire Motorsports, Penalized by NASCAR
NASCAR has released its weekly penalty report following Martinsville weekend, with three teams impacted for Homestead. Headlining these infractions is Carson Hocevar, who drew the ire of many after repeatedly brake-checking Austin Cindric last week. Damage on the No. 2 Ford was terminal, leading Cindric to finish in the garage and be done after 222 laps. As a result, Hocevar has been suspended from the No. 77 Chevrolet this weekend by a self-imposed penalty through Spire Motorsports. In addition, NASCAR handed Hocevar a $100,000 fine and docked him 25 driver points. Racing for Spire this weekend as a relief driver will be Justin Haley.
In a statement, Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson said “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 also released his own statement on Tuesday, saying “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. 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.”
Cindric declined any comment at Martinsville after his very early exit. Meanwhile, Hocevar did underplay the matter in his post-race comments. Hocevar’s thoughts can be seen below.
.@AustinCindric to the DVP area in the Martinsville garage: #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/z48YSEC7Q1
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) November 1, 2026
In addition to Hocevar, Josh Berry also carried out similar actions against Ryan Blaney. Contact between the Nos. 21 and 12 cars led to race-ending damage on Blaney’s nose, ending his chance at another Martinsville win. Following this exchange, NASCAR has fined Berry $50,000 and dinged him 25 driver points.
Hocevar and Berry were both in violation of Rulebook Sections 4.4a: Penalty Options; Actions Detrimental to Stock Car racing; Multiple violations of the code of conduct.
The final penalized team from Martinsville was the RFK Racing No. 60 of Ryan Preece. After leading laps early on Sunday, Preece brought out a caution for a detached wheel after a pit stop. The No. 60 pit crew has two members subsequently suspended from the next two races, Homestead and the 2027 Clash at Daytona.
.@RyanPreece_ spins in turn 2, caution out again. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/wtmJw5EI3c
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) November 1, 2026
This story will be updated if more details become available.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credits to Peter Stratta and Noah Lewis/TSJSports
