As Motorsport.com reports, Spire Motorsports has taken the extraordinary step of suspending their own driver, Carson Hocevar, benching him for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and ending his 2026 season early.
Controversy has surrounded Hocevar all year long. Last weekend at Martinsville, he intentionally brake-checked Austin Cindric multiple times until he caused race-ending damage to the Penske driver. When asked about it later, Hocevar made light of the incident by stating, "we were just having fun." While the team did not point to a single specific incident, they framed the suspension as a broader matter of respect and integrity.
I crossed the line with my on-track actions that gave Jeff Inspire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead.
Team owner Jeff Dickerson addressed the decision in a Tuesday statement, explaining that it would have been easier to leave the matter entirely in NASCAR's hands. "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," Dickerson said. He added that the way Hocevar conducted himself at Martinsville failed to meet the standards set for the organization's drivers and employees, though he emphasized ongoing support for the driver.
The suspension drops Hocevar, who fell from tenth to 12th in the championship standings at Martinsville, out of the finale with potential for further drops in the Chase standings. Justin Haley, who previously drove for Spire at the Cup level and secured the team's first-ever win in 2019, will step into the No. 77 Chevrolet for the weekend.
Hocevar has issued an apology for his actions. "This is an embarrassing day for me. I let the people down that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to drive a cup car," he said on Tuesday. "I crossed the line with my on-track actions that gave Jeff Inspire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead."
The Martinsville clash is only the latest controversial moment in a season where Hocevar has frequently made headlines and accumulated on-track rivals. Earlier during the Chase, he dumped Brad Keselowski at Darlington and became involved in a pit road brawl with Ryan Blaney after wrecking him at Bristol.
