NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar only yesterday learned that not only had his team, Spire Motorsports, suspended him from driving in the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami on Sunday, but NASCAR had slapped him with a $100,000 fine and 25-point deduction over his repeated brake-checking incidents during last week’s Martinsville race.
So it must have come as something of a surprise to Hocevar and Spire that NASCAR issued yet another decision in the controversy Wednesday, and this one was far more generous.
Hocevar, NASCAR decided, will be allowed to keep all of the Chase points he earned through Martinsville. NASCAR approved Hocevar and Spire’s request for a waiver to the NASCAR rule that would have stripped him of his point total, according to Fox Sports‘ Bob Pockrass.
Hocevar must sit out Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, so the ruling locks in his final total.
Hocevar sits 13th with 2,234 points after the 25-point penalty, 23 points behind Bubba Wallace. He no longer has a path to the championship. Before the penalty, Hocevar ranked 12th with 2,259 points.
Why Spire Motorsports Needed a Carson Hocevar Waiver
Chase rules require every driver in the field to start every race. Spire suspended Hocevar for the finale and named Justin Haley, a former Spire driver, to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet, which left Hocevar unable to keep his points without special approval. Spire filed the request, and NASCAR granted it.
NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer said the team would submit the paperwork and that the sanctioning body saw no reason to deny it. Sawyer also pointed out that the waiver rules were written for the previous postseason format, and that penalties for missing a race remain a steep deterrent under the current points-based Chase.
The suspension came from the Spire team, not NASCAR, but “we look at it the same way as if we had imposed the suspension,” Sawyer said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as quoted by On3.
Had NASCAR suspended Hocevar itself, the rules would have let him keep the points, since “if NASCAR issues the suspension, the driver can retain his points,” Pockrass wrote on Wednesday.
What Carson Hocevar Gains and the Martinsville Fallout
Hocevar has no shot at the title, but final position still affects the money. NASCAR distributes a year-end points fund based on final standings, with owner standings serving as the primary basis under the charter system. Race purses are paid by finishing position too, though Hocevar collects no purse from Homestead. Keeping his Martinsville total protects his ranking instead of forfeiting it, which feeds into what teams and drivers earn.
The trouble began Nov. 1 in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. SMT data showed Hocevar brake-checking Austin Cindric on the straightaways in Stage 2, reportedly four times. The contact ended Cindric’s race with heavy front-end damage to his No. 2 Team Penske Ford and sent him to a 36th-place finish. Hocevar finished 21st after spinning to bring out a caution.
Spire suspended Hocevar for the Homestead finale on Tuesday, citing conduct that fell short of the team’s standards for professionalism and respect. Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said leaving the matter to NASCAR would have been the easier route, but “this isn’t about money or points,” according to NASCAR.
NASCAR issued separate penalties, fining Hocevar $100,000, docking 25 points for multiple violations of Section 4.4a of the Rule Book, which covers actions detrimental to stock car racing, along with code-of-conduct violations tied to Martinsville.
Sawyer said the larger fine reflected earlier behavioral incidents and the severity of the Martinsville transgression, based on data and audio. Spire’s suspension is the only one Hocevar faces; NASCAR’s response stopped at the fine and points deduction.
Hocevar’s next scheduled start is the Daytona 500 in February, when Spire says it wants to contend for a championship.
NASCAR Quietly Issues New Carson Hocevar Decision After Martinsville Fine