Spire Motorsports announced they’re suspending Carson Hocevar for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway. The decision comes after Hocevar abruptly slowed down several times causing Austin Cindric to run into him, damaging his own car. Ultimately the contact ended Cindric’s day.
“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,” Dickerson continued. “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.”
Justin Haley, who drove full-time for the organization in 2025, will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro at Homestead. The 27-year-old finished top-10 there in the spring of 2025. This will be Haley’s first Cup start since the 2025 season finale.
Hocevar’s Reputation
“This is an embarrassing day for me,” Hocevar said on social media. “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.”
This contact was the latest of several controversies surrounding Hocevar in 2026. The 23-year-old’s run-ins with Brad Keselowski, Zane Smith, and Ryan Blaney have made him a lightning rod for debate and criticisms throughout the year.
Hocevar has a history of aggressive driving, such as when he was docked 25 points for wrecking Harrison Burton in 2024, when he took Corey Heim out of Truck Series title contention in 2023, hooked Colby Howard in the 2022 Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and revved his engine in close proximity to safety workers in 2025 to earn himself a $50,000 fine.
This is also not the first time Spire has penalized their own driver. Hocevar faced an additional $50,000 fine from the team following insensitive comments on a live stream ahead of the 2025 Mexico City weekend.
Hocevar has shown proven himself to be an emerging start in the NASCAR Cup Series, from showing top-15 speed on debut in 2023 to his first victory at Talladega Superspeedway this season. The Michigan native is under contract with Spire Motorsports for the foreseeable future, and next season he’ll attempt to make his second consecutive Chase appearance.
