Carson ‘Hurricane’ Hocevar has been the story of the 2026 season, making headlines nearly each week.
A few of these moments have been optimistic, like his epic Talladega win and post-race celebration, or his fan outreach and unbelievable merchandise gross sales. He made the Time 100 listing for ‘Most Influential Folks in Sports activities’ and even attended the Met Gala.
Nevertheless, there’s been loads of negativity as nicely, and he’ll now finish the NASCAR Cup season on the sidelines as a consequence of his most up-to-date actions at Martinsville, with Spire Motorsports suspending him. Veteran drivers have been loudly important of him all year long, even questioning if he cares extra about fame than racing outcomes at occasions.
So, we determined to recap simply some of the most important controversies that outlined Hocevar’s wild yr behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet:
This second will doubtless be remembered greater than some other within the long-run. Hocevar was in rivalry for the win at Bristol, however whereas battling Ryan Blaney for second, Hocevar despatched him crashing into the wall after a failed block by the Penske driver, whereas he went on to complete third. After the race, Blaney approached him on pit street and grabbed Hocevar, who instantly beginning throwing haymakers. Hocevar punched Blaney twice within the scuffle.
Hocevar informed a later press scrum that he had by no means hit anybody earlier than Saturday evening, and thinks NASCAR would “lose ticket gross sales” in the event that they dished out fines for the altercation. As for Blaney, he ended up regretting his half within the struggle, and no penalties have been issued.
Martinsville brake-check and spin
Watch: Hocevar talks Cindric brake verify: ‘We’re simply having enjoyable’
Within the penultimate spherical of the 2026 season, Hocevar was battling an ill-handling automobile. Throughout a green-flag pit cease cycle, he misplaced management and spun out. Nevertheless, a number of drivers have been suspicious of the self-spin, believing it was intentional. Quickly after, Hocevar bought into it with Austin Cindric, though they weren’t on the identical lap. Hocevar aggressively brake-checked him three or 4 occasions, destroying the nostril of Cindric’s automobile and ending his race.
“No, I do not know, I bought misplaced there for a second,” mentioned Hocevar after the race when requested to clarify the incident. When questioned once more if it was intentional, he added: “I simply suppose that is Martinsville, and I believe we have been simply having enjoyable.”
Within the opening spherical of the Chase at Darlington, Hocevar was concerned within the first pure warning of the race. Battling Brad Keselowski for place, he made some contact and Keselowski slid up into the wall. Hocevar then hit him a second time, utterly spinning Keselowski out. Hocevar got here underneath additional scrutiny for his post-race feedback, saying sarcastically: “I do every part for TV and leisure functions, based mostly off all people else, so I do not know — no matter makes good TV. I simply do it for the clicks, you realize what I imply?”
Hocevar was dismissive of the incident itself, saying with a smile: “Yeah, he spun.” When informed that Keselowski threatened payback, Hocevar shrugged it off: “I’ll tighten my belts.” He additionally supplied a 6% low cost on his merch after the incident (Keselowski drives the No. 6), which is one thing Hocevar has carried out after run-ins with different drivers this yr as nicely.
Ongoing feud with Corey Heim
Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar have fairly the historical past, going all the best way again to the 2023 NASCAR Truck finale the place they clashed wildly whereas combating for the title. In Cup this yr, Heim is racing part-time and spun Hocevar out earlier than happening to win the San Diego race. Nothing actually got here of that, however on the Brickyard 400 later in the summertime, that they had a much more tense alternate. Hocever began the race from pole, however throughout a pit cease cycle, he grew to become trapped behind Heim and was shedding laptime. He grew to become annoyed and when Heim lastly pitted, Hocevar aggressively turned down the observe in direction of Heim’s automobile and flipped him off. Each had some fiery feedback in a while, and Heim, who truly received the race, mentioned to the media with reference to Hocevar: “You guys love speaking a couple of man that completed ninth.”
Wild contact-filled drive at Atlanta
Christopher Bell crashes in extra time restart
Picture by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos
Hocevar had a loopy race at Atlanta close to the beginning of the yr. After an early tire difficulty and a aspect window blowing out, he clawed his approach again into rivalry, and spun Joey Logano out late within the race. However the true controversy got here in a late-race restart, when he tried to power his approach up the center and crashed Christopher Bell into the wall. He went on to complete fourth, however not earlier than walling Bubba Wallace on the white flag lap.
“I turned Joey, I did not imply to do this … I simply missed it by an inch or two and I owe him a present card,” mentioned Hocevar after the race. He additionally mentioned that he went for a gap between Bell and the race chief on the entrance row, nevertheless it closed up by the point he arrived. “I do not imply to finish their day or destroy their automobile. I simply felt prefer it was in my greatest curiosity to interrupt up the Toyotas…”
Watch: Zane Smith slams into Carson Hocevar after Phoenix checkered flag
Zane Smith doesn’t like Hocevar, and he has not been quiet about it both. On a podcast look in July, Smith blasted Hocevar as a ‘coward’ and criticized his fan base. At Chicagoland, he deliberately wrecked Hocevar (and himself), which earned them each a visit to the NASCAR hauler. Hocevar acted confused, and did not appear to know why Smith hated him a lot. At Phoenix later within the yr, Hocevar slid up into Smith and knocked each drivers exterior the highest ten close to the tip of the race, however the incident truly started when Ross Chastain bumped Hocevar into the nook as he did not like the best way Hocevar cleared himself up in entrance of him. Smith did not care about the way it started and aggressively rammed Hocevar after the race, which earned him a $50,000 superb.
New Hampshire tempo lap spin
An odd second on the tempo lap throughout a wet New Hampshire race, with wet-weather tires on the vehicles. Hocevar throttled up forward of the tempo automobile and spun out on the exit of Flip 4. “Have a look at this man. Have a look at this fool,” Logano mentioned as he watched Hocevar spin. Nevertheless, some did not see it as a foolish mistake, however one thing else fully. Kyle Larson later claimed it was intentional, saying: “Spinning out earlier than the race? That was 1000% simply to get on TV.”
On the epicenter of two restart pileups and Talladega Huge One
Hocevar is a driver that simply desires to go, and that has put him on the epicenter of some dramatic crashes this yr. Now it is arduous to place 100% blame on him for all of those incidents, however as a consequence of his status, his rivals have been fast to level the finger. At Michigan, Hocevar tagged John Hunter Nemechek and triggered a pileup. Richard Childress was not impressed, saying over the radio: “Anytime their eyes are that shut collectively, it means they’ve bought a small mind.” Bubba Wallace was amongst these concerned and after the race, he sat on the pit wall and hashed issues out with Hocevar. At Kansas later within the yr, Hocevar tried to power his approach up the center on a restart, however Ty Gibbs was coming down as Hocevar went up. A number of vehicles have been as soon as once more destroyed within the melee that adopted.
Most lately, Hocevar had a giant run on Logano at Talladega within the closing laps of the race and ended up bumping him in the course of the tri-oval. Logano misplaced management and was flying the wrong way up inside seconds. The scary crash collected 15 vehicles in whole.
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