Carson Hocevar and Josh Berry have both received penalties due to their on-track actions this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Both drivers have received a 25 point penalty, along with monetary fines. Berry received a $50,000 fine and Hocevar, a $100,000 fine. Both drivers earned these penalties for brake-checking a fellow competitor and ultimately ending their days. Hocevar brake-checked Austin Cindric multiple times, while Berry brake-checked Ryan Blaney.
Per NASCAR, the higher fine for Hocevar was because he had “multiple violations of the code of conduct”, (since this was not his first infraction). Additionally, Spire Motorsports parked the driver of the No. 77 for the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 in Hocevar’s place. This penalty will move each driver down one spot in the points: Hocevar from 12th to 13th and Berry from 21st to 22nd.
Additionally, the penalty report included the expected suspension of crew members James Price and Samuel Wright from the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Dark Horse, after a wheel disconnected from Ryan Preece’s car mid-race. They will join Hocevar in sitting out Homestead, but will also miss the 2027 Clash.
Drivers React
“This is an embarrassing day for me,” Hocevar said on social media following the Spire suspension. “I let the people down that gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to drive a Cup car. I also let down my team, sponsors, and fans. I crossed the line with my on-track actions and gave Jeff and Spire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead. I’ll be rooting for the entire organization this weekend and look forward to coming back in 2027 as a better driver, competitor, and teammate.”
Austin Cindric has not spoken publicly about the contact, while Berry and Blaney both made comments postrace.
“Um, I mean, obviously Ryan, you know, got into me pretty good there and I got up out of the groove just trying to save it, and we got together,” Berry said.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion shared a different perspective.
“The deal in three and four, I just barely accidentally bumped the No. 21 and he just decided to slame on the brakes and end our day,” Ryan Blaney told NBC Sports about the contact with Berry. “So, I don’t really know why. After just a little tiny bit of contact, not even on purpose. He just lost his mind…He just decided to end our day. So, I really appreciate that.”
