Posted on 11/03/2026 11:48:57 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
Spire Motorsports has suspended Carson Hocevar for this weekend’s NASCAR Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
“A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours," said Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports. "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. 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. We'll go to Homestead united and compete as an organization. After that, we can get ready for Daytona in February with the right mindset to contend for a championship."
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.
The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came October 23, 2026, when Sammy Smith won the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization also fields the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.
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Josh Berry was Wood Brothers
Wood Brothers is a Penske satellite. Cars and crew based in the same shop.
Also could be Pay Day in the 77 car.
Berry is a #21 Mustang. I know some of the Wood family although not the racing ones.
Hocevar reminds me of a young Kyle Busch. Would Dale Earnhardt have brake checked somebody who pissed him off? (That’s a rhetorical question) How about Cale Yarborough? (also rhetorical)
Berry’s event you could plead “it’s racing”, Hocavar’s was blatant three times on astraight away. He’s pissed off enough drivers speed on intermediate tracks is faster. Homestead is a mile and half, crashing at 180mph instead of Martin’sville 110 to 120 is a bit different. He keeps racing like he’s been doing. Someone will launch him. NASCAR needs to pulled their heads out of their ass too. IMO
It would have been considerate of the authors to explaine WHY Carson was suspended.....
You can’t explain the issue here. I’ve watched NASCAR since 1965 as a kid. I watched this whole cup season. There are drivers and fans that don’t know why Hocevar is driving. Is he creating controversy to sell merch or racing to win a championship. No one is sure. 200mph on a race track is no place to play at something the serious drivers are trying to make a living at. Ask Riley Herbst after Talledega
Brian France ruined Noosecar.
The empty stands and declining network TV coverage are a testament to France’s WOKE insanity.
Brake checking in a race with average speed of 180 MPH would seem to be a bad, and possibly fatal, thing to do.
Homestead is the slowest 1.5 mile track. Speeds barely 155 MPH on the first lap. The lap drastically slows down.
Doesn’t matter now. We’ll see if Hocevar learns anything between now and Daytona next year.
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.https://heavy.com/sports/nascar/nascar-carson-hocevar-martinsville-race-penalty/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.
~snip~
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.
There’s no room for the intimidator in todays NASCAR. Just get in line and follow the guy in front of you. Every car is the same and all of the drivers are nice guys who sell your products. Just follow the formula 1 model.
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