Spire Motorsports suspended driver Carson Hocevar for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet in the championship race, the team announced on Tuesday.
Hocevar’s actions in last Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway prompted the punishment. He repeatedly brake-checked Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford, resulting in front-end damage that knocked Cindric out of the race.
“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, in a team statement. “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. 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.”
Hocevar, 23, apologized to his team in a statement posted Tuesday on Instagram.
“This is an embarrassing day for me,” he wrote. “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.”
Hocevar ranks 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after posting 12 top-10 finishes and one win (Talladega on April 26) in 35 starts this season. He joined Spire in 2024 and won Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors that season.
