Carson Hocevar Suspended by Spire Motorsports After Martinsville Contact With Austin Cindric
Spire Motorsports suspended 23-year-old driver Carson Hocevar for the final race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The decision follows an on-track incident on October 31, 2026, at Martinsville Speedway, where Hocevar brake-checked Team Penske driver Austin Cindric on multiple occasions. SMT car tracking data showed Hocevar slamming on the brakes in the middle of a straightaway, forcing Cindric’s No. 2 Ford to crash into the back of the No. 77 Chevrolet. The contact crushed the nose of Cindric’s car and resulted in a DNF and a 36th-place finish, as reported by NASCAR.
Spire Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson Suspends Driver over Conduct
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson released a statement addressing the suspension, emphasizing that the organization chose to act independently rather than wait for a ruling from NASCAR. Dickerson stated that the choice was not about money or points, but about respect and organizational integrity. 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,
Dickerson said. He added that racing at the Cup level is a privilege requiring professionalism, and confirmed that Justin Haley will pilot the No. 77 car in Hocevar’s place at Homestead. NASCAR announced that Sunday’s championship race begins at 3 p.m. ET, with television and radio coverage provided by NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
What does the data say?@SteveLetarte and @jamiemcmurray break down the contact between @CarsonHocevar and @AustinCindric. pic.twitter.com/xKiHnNhM2K
Carson Hocevar Admits Crossing the Line on Track
Hocevar addressed the suspension on social media, describing the penalty as an embarrassing day that forced him to let down his team, sponsors, and fans. I crossed the line with on-track actions and gave Jeff and Spire Motorsports no options but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead,
Hocevar wrote on Instagram. The suspension caps a 2026 season defined by aggressive driving and multiple run-ins with competitors, including an earlier altercation with former series champion Ryan Blaney. Despite winning his first career race earlier in the season and frequently running in the top five, Hocevar faced repeated criticism for his on-track behavior before team ownership intervened ahead of the season finale.
More on Spire Motorsports
Jeff Dickerson statement: “A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours. 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…”
Spire Motorsports has suspended Carson Hocevar for the Homestead championship race following his controversial actions against Austin Cindric at Martinsville. https://t.co/5BzNYzC9kX
#NASCAR … Spire Motorsports suspends Carson Hocevar for season finale at Homestead for his actions at Martinsville https://t.co/22gynm4qCF
Worth a look