Austin Cindric has finally addressed the incident involving Carson Hocevar at Martinsville Speedway and the penalties NASCAR handed to the Spire Motorsports driver.
Cindric addressed the media Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, six days after Hocevar’s repeated brake checks damaged the No. 2 Team Penske Ford at the Xfinity 500.
The incident left Cindric with a 36th-place finish and cost him three positions in the standings at a crucial point in the season. NASCAR later fined Hocevar $100,000 and deducted 25 points for actions detrimental to stock car racing.
However, Cindric made it clear he has little interest in the punishment or the growing attention surrounding the incident. He remains focused on finishing the 2026 season strong.
Austin Cindric Addresses Carson Hocevar Incident at Martinsville
Cindric admitted the Martinsville race was frustrating, especially after the damage affected his position in the standings.
“Sure, I mean obviously a super frustrating event for us to drop three spots and points at a critical point in the year,” Cindric said. “I think that’s really the highlight for me is being able to go out to this weekend and maximize what’s been a really strong couple of months for us.”
The incident happened during Stage 2 when Hocevar, driving the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, repeatedly applied heavy brake pressure on the straightaways. SMT data showed the repeated braking, leaving Cindric with little room to avoid contact.
Cindric reacted over his radio during the race, questioning NASCAR’s response to the situation.
“NASCAR, what are we doing?” he said. “Like, we’re just weaponizing cars here. I stack on entry with the guy, and he has a mental breakdown.”
The contact damaged the front end of Cindric’s car and ended his competitive day. Hocevar initially described the incident as typical Martinsville racing but later accepted responsibility.
NASCAR Penalties for Carson Hocevar Draw Cindric’s Response
Spire Motorsports sidelined Hocevar for the season finale, naming Justin Haley as his replacement. NASCAR also issued a $100,000 fine and a 25-point deduction for actions detrimental to stock car racing.
The governing body cited multiple violations of its code of conduct. NASCAR also handed Josh Berry a $50,000 fine and a 25-point deduction for a separate incident involving brake-checking Ryan Blaney.
Cindric declined to comment on whether NASCAR handed Hocevar the right punishment.
“Yeah, I mean obviously that’s between him and the team really,” Cindric said. “Obviously I don’t have much of an impact on any of those decisions, so yeah, my focus is on this weekend.”
When reporters asked about NASCAR’s decision, he added, “Sure, that’s definitely a position I’ve never been in, but as far as NASCAR’s decision, that’s kind of up to them on a case-by-case basis.”
Cindric also described his previous history with Hocevar as limited.
“Somewhat nonexistent,” he said. “We weren’t even on the same lap.”
Austin Cindric Focuses on NASCAR Championship Finale
Hocevar has not spoken directly with Cindric since the Martinsville incident. However, he posted an 18-minute video earlier in the week in which he apologized, described his actions as embarrassing and admitted he crossed the line.
Cindric said he had not watched the video and was not actively seeking a conversation with Hocevar.
“I guess that’s up to him,” he said when asked whether he expected an apology.
The Team Penske driver also revealed he had avoided much of the coverage surrounding the incident.
“To be honest, I know there’s a lot of content that’s been out since last Sunday, six days ago, and I can’t say I’ve really, really watched any of it as I don’t really believe that I’m the audience,” Cindric said. “I can’t have anything from last week be a distraction.”
Instead, Cindric turned his attention to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead. He qualified fifth and believes his team has a good opportunity to finish the season strongly.
“I think our race tomorrow is a lot in our hands with seemingly a decent qualifying effort and a super challenging race track,” he said.
Cindric is still searching for his first win of the season but hopes to finish the year on a high note after several strong performances in recent months.
“It doesn’t really affect what the job is and what my role is for me and the team to have a productive weekend and maximize our position of points,” Cindric said.
For Cindric, the Martinsville incident and NASCAR penalties are no longer the priority. His attention remains on the final race and helping Team Penske end the season on a strong note.
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Opens Up on Carson Hocevar After Controversial Penalty