NASCAR officials closely followed Ryan Blaney’s comments after his physical fight with Carson Hocevar at Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR official Mike Forde said staff listened to parts of Blaney’s appearance on Denny Hamlin’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast.
The comments came after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol, where Blaney and Hocevar clashed on the track and later fought at Hocevar’s pit stall. Blaney spoke openly about the incident on Hamlin’s podcast the following Monday.
He called the on-track contact “50-50” and admitted he went to Hocevar’s pit stall expecting a confrontation. Forde said NASCAR personnel discussed Blaney’s comments during internal debrief meetings.
NASCAR Official Reveals Reaction to Ryan Blaney’s Comments
Speaking on the latest episode of “Hauler Talk,” Forde credited Hamlin for helping calm the situation involving Blaney and Hocevar.
“Credit to Denny Hamlin for being the peace broker.”
Forde also said NASCAR personnel had listened to Blaney’s podcast appearance or watched clips from it.
“Our folks did listen to it and, or at least see some of the clips, and there were comments in the debrief meetings that they thought that Ryan handled it really well and spoke very eloquently and professionally.”
Forde added: “So, I think he gets it. We feel…”
The comments give more detail about how NASCAR reviewed Blaney’s response after the Bristol fight. NASCAR officials considered not only what happened on the track but also how Blaney discussed the incident afterward.
Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar’s Bristol Fight Explained
The NASCAR fight started with 43 laps remaining in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol. Blaney and Hocevar were racing for second place when contact sent Blaney’s No. 12 Ford into the wall.
The crash ended Blaney’s race after he had led a race-high 202 laps. Blaney finished 33rd, while Hocevar recovered to finish third.
After visiting the infield care center, Blaney walked to Hocevar’s pit stall. He grabbed the Spire Motorsports driver by his firesuit, and Hocevar responded by punching Blaney twice in the face.
Officials and crew members then stepped in to separate the two drivers.
Blaney later appeared with a cut and bruised left eye. The Bristol fight quickly became one of the main talking points from the NASCAR weekend.
NASCAR Decision After the Bristol Fight
Ryan Blaney later discussed the Bristol fight at length on Hamlin’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast. He said the contact between the two drivers was “50-50” and acknowledged that he went to Hocevar’s pit stall intending to confront him.
Blaney also admitted Hocevar got the better of him during the fight.
“I went over there and got my ass kicked, for sure,” Blaney said.
The Team Penske driver also expressed regret and said he tries to set an example for younger fans.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell had already indicated that NASCAR did not plan to penalize either driver for the physical confrontation. Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour” podcast, O’Donnell said NASCAR wanted to preserve the emotion and competitiveness of racing while discouraging drivers from using their cars as weapons.
“We’re not going to encourage fighting, but what we are going to encourage is passion.”
Forde’s comments show that Ryan Blaney’s public response became part of NASCAR’s internal discussions after the Bristol fight. They do not establish that the podcast appearance directly determined NASCAR’s disciplinary decision.
NASCAR Explains How Ryan Blaney’s ‘Actions Detrimental’ Appearance Affected Bristol Penalty Decision