Spire Suspends Hocevar for NASCAR Season Finale

On November 3, Spire Motorsports said Carson Hocevar would miss the final NASCAR Cup Series race, held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, following his conduct at Martinsville Speedway the previous Sunday. Justin Haley will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet in his place. The team made the suspension itself rather than waiting for NASCAR to decide whether to impose a penalty.

At Martinsville, Hocevar was accused of repeatedly braking in front of Austin Cindric after a restart, leading to multiple collisions and severe damage to Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. Cindric finished 36th. Hocevar denied acting deliberately, saying he had “got lost there for a second.” He was also accused of spinning his car intentionally earlier in the race to trigger a caution and disrupt other drivers’ pit strategies.

Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said the Martinsville behavior fell short of the standards expected of the team’s drivers, while stressing that the decision did not mean the organization had stopped supporting Hocevar. He said the team considered respect and integrity central to its choice.

Hocevar called the situation embarrassing and said he had let down the people who gave him the chance to race in the Cup Series, along with his team, sponsors and fans. He accepted responsibility for crossing a line and said he hoped to return in 2027 as a more capable driver, competitor and teammate.

The 23-year-old had a breakout season, earning his first Cup Series victory at Talladega and making the championship playoff field. His season will end one race early; Spire said it would compete at Homestead as a united organization.