Carson Hocevar took the blame for his fine at Kansas Speedway and will pay the $50,000 out of his own pocket.
On Sunday in the Bank Of America Roval 400, Hocevar was fighting to crack the top 10 with eight laps to go when the Spire Motorsports star spun out. He was left stranded with multiple flats while the caution flag waved, as his car was stalled in third gear. Hocevar attempted to fire it up and put it back in neutral in order to be towed.
Ultimately, Shane van Gisbergen went on to win a dramatic race. However, Hocevar was left frustrated after his crash was deemed his fault due to the spin, resulting in a substantial fine from NASCAR.
NASCAR released a statement that read: “After safety personnel had arrived at the crash scene, officials indicated that Hocevar revved and spun his tires in an attempt to rejoin the field while those safety workers attended to his car.”
Hocevar’s actions were deemed a violation of NASCAR’s Member Conduct, resulting in a $50,000 fine. The 22-year-old ended up finishing four laps down in 29th – 16 spots lower than he had been at the time of his spin.
Ultimately, Hocevar blames himself. He acknowledged that the fine represents a learning curve for both himself and the team.
“I fired it up just to throw it into neutral,” Hocevar said. “It’s sometimes hard to get these things into neutral, so I fired it up. Honestly, I didn’t know it spun the tires. Obviously, there’s a tow truck in front of me, so I’m not going anywhere.
“I was trying to go someplace earlier but the tires were off the ground and they just spin. But they judge based off of actions and visibility and not intent, right? The tires spun, black and white, so next time I might just have them rock the car to throw me in neutral.
“I was sitting there in third gear doing a burnout so it’s on me not thinking about the tires spinning. It was educational for me. It’s expensive too. It’s educational for our guys too, so I could just say I’m stuck in second and go from there.”
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He added: “NASCAR doesn’t have the intent. They can’t know the plan and story behind everything and judge everything, and sometimes they have to call it the way they see it.”
When asked who covers the fine whether it’s the driver or Spire Motorsports, Hocevar was clear: “I spun the tires. It’s me.”
The NASCAR postseason continues with the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Eight drivers remain in Cup Series championship contention: Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano.