Repeatedly brake-checking Austin Cindric during the NASCAR Cup season’s penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway earned Carson Hocevar a team-imposed one-race suspension and a $100,000 fine and points penalty from NASCAR.
When the green-flag waved to start the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hocevar was watching from the sidelines while Justin Haley drove his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
Don’t think, though, that the punishment will have a profound effect on Hocevar’s aggressive driving style in 2027.
“Sometimes you can’t get too creative,” Hocevar said. “There’ s a line to be drawn on creatively and aggression. We’re working through that…
“I didn’t die. I didn’t lose my ride. I lost my car keys. My team still loves me. I think I’m in a good spot. I’m excited that we get to get working for Daytona and next year… It’s just one week. Obviously, it sucks, but it’s not bigger than it is.”
The suspension gave Hocevar plenty of time to interact with his fan base, which is legion. In 2026, Hocevar arguably provided more autographs than any other driver.
To Hocevar, the most unusual item he signed was a car.
“Somebody bought a brand-new car and wanted me to sign it,” he said. “I thought that was weird. So, I signed their dash in their brand-new car a couple of weeks ago. I thought that was really funny.
“It was his wife’s car, too, and he’s like ‘My wife really wants this.’ And I was like, ‘Is she here?’ And he was like, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘OK, are you sure?’ and I asked three times, and then ‘All right. Whatever. You’ve got to go home to her—not me.’”
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