NASCAR fined Carson Hocevar $100,000 and docked him 25 driver points Tuesday for repeatedly brake-checking Austin Cindric at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR Communications announced Tuesday.
The penalty arrived the same day Spire Motorsports pulled its No. 77 driver from the Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale, leaving Hocevar facing two punishments at once for Sunday’s Xfinity 500.
NASCAR cited multiple violations of the code of conduct, along with Section 4.4a of the Rule Book, which covers actions detrimental to stock car racing. The sanctioning body described the infractions as “wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from competition as a result,” according to the NASCAR penalty report. NASCAR noted the multiple violations in Hocevar’s case, which is why his fine doubles one also issued Tuesday by NASCAR against Josh Berry.
Carson Hocevar Brake-Check Incident With Austin Cindric
Hocevar brake-checked Cindric four times over five laps in Stage 2, as recorded by journalist Joseph Srigley, and reported by Sportsnaut. The final contact crushed the nose of Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford and sent him to the garage with a 36th-place finish.
“NASCAR, what are we doing? Like, we’re just weaponizing cars here,” Cindric said over his team radio, according to Sportsnaut. He also accused Hocevar of having a “mental breakdown.”
Spotter Tyler Green told Hocevar repeatedly to stop, and Hocevar kept going, according to Motorsport.com.
“It’s just Martinsville. Everybody’s running hard and making moves and stuff,” Hocevar said after the race, according to Sportsnaut.
NBC analysts Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray reviewed synchronized telemetry and video and concluded the brake-checking was intentional. Hocevar also spun alone on Lap 198, bringing out a caution that some rivals suspected was deliberate.
Spire Motorsports Suspension Adds to Carson Hocevar Punishment
Spire suspended Hocevar earlier Tuesday. Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 at Homestead-Miami, and Hocevar’s next scheduled race is the 2027 Daytona 500, according to Racing News writer Shane Walters.
“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,” Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a statement.
“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,” Dickerson said.
Hocevar accepted responsibility in a statement posted to Instagram.
“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,” he said. “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.”
NASCAR also fined Berry $50,000 and docked him 25 points for a brake check on Ryan Blaney that damaged the No. 12 Team Penske entry. Berry’s came once, in a corner, while Hocevar’s came repeatedly on straightaways, according to Motorsport.com. “He just lost his mind,” Blaney said of Berry.
Hocevar has met with NASCAR officials several times this year, mostly over his back-and-forth with Zane Smith, which left him effectively on probation, according to Motorsport.com. NASCAR previously fined him $50,000 and docked 25 points for spinning Harrison Burton under caution at Nashville in 2024. He was fined $50,000 in 2025 at Kansas after compromising the safety of track workers.
In September, NASCAR announced no penalties for either driver after Hocevar and Blaney fought following the Bristol race.
“What we are going to encourage is passion,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said on Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour” podcast.
NASCAR Slams Carson Hocevar With Harsh Punishment For Martinsville Race Actions