NASCAR’s Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar clash at Phoenix Raceway has reportedly sparked another confrontation, this time involving their crew chiefs.
Ryan Flores, a Hendrick Motorsports pit crew member and co-host of Stacking Pennies, said Zane Smith’s crew chief, Ryan Bergenty, threatened Hocevar’s crew chief, Luke Lambert, after the Freeway Insurance 500.
The reported exchange followed Smith’s contact with Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet during the cooldown lap. NASCAR later fined Smith $50,000 for the incident, citing behavioral and safety violations.
Hocevar addressed the hit during media availability at Talladega, describing it as unexpected and hard. He also played down the rivalry between the drivers.
NASCAR officials have since explained why Smith received the penalty, pointing to an earlier warning delivered to both drivers after their previous clash at Chicagoland.
NASCAR Crew Chief Clash Follows Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar Incident
Flores revealed the reported confrontation on this week’s episode of Stacking Pennies with Corey LaJoie and Ryan Flores. He said Bergenty confronted Lambert after the Phoenix race.
“I had a talk with Ryan Bergenty this week because Ryan Bergenty, Zane Smith’s crew chief, in post-race last week with the Zane stuff, there was a little bit of an altercation,” Flores said.
He then shared what Bergenty allegedly told Lambert.
“Where he told Luke Lambert that he’d beat his ass. We talked about that. I went over there because I said, you’re lucky I’m not on the 77 anymore. I would’ve whooped your ass last week.”
The reported exchange came after Smith hit the rear of Hocevar’s Chevrolet at roughly 130 mph during the cooldown lap. Earlier in the race, Ross Chastain had pushed Hocevar up the track into Smith and Josh Berry.
Smith’s team radioed that Hocevar had been pushed into him, but Smith later made contact with Hocevar after the race. Smith finished 15th, while Hocevar placed 12th.
NASCAR Fines Zane Smith $50,000 After Phoenix Clash
NASCAR fined Smith $50,000 under Sections 4.4a and 10.5.2.5a of its Rule Book, classifying the post-race contact as a behavioral and safety violation. The penalty did not include a points deduction.
On the Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde explained why officials penalized Smith. He said NASCAR had previously called Smith and Hocevar to a meeting in Atlanta after their earlier incident at Chicagoland.
Forde recalled the message officials delivered during that meeting.
“If you guys can’t figure it out, we will help you figure it out,” Forde said. “And they couldn’t figure it out. This is us pretty much helping Zane Smith figure it out a little bit in the form of a $50,000 fine.”
Forde said NASCAR reviewed video, audio and data before making its decision. He also explained why a similar incident involving Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Charlotte the previous week did not result in a penalty.
The earlier warning played a major role in Smith’s case. Forde declined to share further details because Smith had the option to appeal the fine.
Carson Hocevar Responds to Zane Smith’s Post-Race Hit
Hocevar described the Phoenix contact as unexpected during media availability at Talladega.
“I mean for me I was it was just unexpected,” Hocevar said. “I was looking around and I think I was like looking down and like I hit and I mean my mindset was like, ‘Oh shit, who did I just run into?’”
Hocevar said he initially thought another driver had stopped in front of him. After looking around and seeing nobody ahead, he realized someone had hit him from behind.
He also recalled a previous incident at Martinsville involving Austin Dillon, when Hocevar accidentally ran into Dillon while approaching pit road. That experience initially led him to think he might have made a similar mistake at Phoenix.
Hocevar acknowledged the force of the impact but stressed how little warning he had before it happened.
Asked about the rivalry with Smith, Hocevar played it down.
“No, it seems pretty one-sided to me a little bit,” he said. “So I don’t really care. I mean, yeah, I don’t, I don’t care.”
The reported crew-chief confrontation adds another layer to the tension between the two NASCAR drivers. With Smith’s fine issued and the alleged exchange now public, the dispute has extended beyond their on-track contact, although neither the reported threat nor any further consequences were confirmed by NASCAR in the supplied account.
NASCAR Drama Escalates as Zane Smith’s Crew Chief Issues Warning to Carson Hocevar’s Crew Chief