After Carson Hocevar appeared to brake-check Austin Cindric at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday and cause race-ending damage to Cindric’s car, Spire Motorsports took disciplining their young driver into their own hands.
Hocevar repeatedly brake-checked Cindric on Sunday until the final blow caused enough damage to end Cindric’s race. Hocevar downplayed the incident post-race, calling it “normal Martinsville racing.”
But Hocevar, who has had countless run-ins over the course of his young NASCAR career and ruffled the feathers of just about every other Cup Series driver, clearly stoked the ire of his organization. Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday that it has suspended Hocevar for the Nov. 8 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Justin Haley driving the No. 77 Chevrolet in his place.
Spire suspends Carson Hocevar
“The easy thing to do would’ve been to leave this in NASCAR hands and let them decide what any penalty should be,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a statement. “To us, however, this isn’t about money or points. We believe in respect. Our integrity matters. This is the right decision for Spire Motorsports.
“Everyone here loves working with Carson, and we’ve enjoyed watching him thrive alongside our team. Sometimes the right decision for someone you care about hurts in the short term. 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. That doesn’t mean we don’t love him and support him. Racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism from everyone who represents Spire Motorsports.”
