NASCAR will review all the pertinent data to determine if Carson Hocevar warrants any penalties for what looked like intentionally spinning Harrison Burton under caution on Sunday in the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
The incident occurred on Lap 244, right after Brad Keselowski spun off the front bumper of the car driven by Austin Dillon. Hocevar hooked Burton down the backstretch towards the wall under caution.
In real time …
Spotter Jason Jarrett: “He’s wrecked you under green, he’s wrecked you under caution.”
Burton: “I’m fucking over. I’m done with it. He just wrecked me under caution because I blocked him on the backstretch. He can kiss my ass.”
After the race …
“I don’t know, he blocks everyone every week,” Burton said outside of the infield care center. “I blocked him once and he decided to try and wreck me under yellow so I don’t know. He’s on a lot of people’s lists as guys they don’t like racing. So, it kind of shows why.”
Hocevar did not comment after the race but has a history of behavior that has gotten him into trouble with the sanctioning body and peers. In April 2023, Hocevar right rear hooked Taylor Gray at Martinsville and was held for two laps during the race.
He avoided a suspension but NASCAR officials warned him that the behavior was not acceptable.
Inconsistent precedence
Even more puzzling is that Layne Riggs was held two laps for this on Friday but Hocevar wasn’t on Sunday.
Chase Elliott was suspended one race last year for a right rear hook on Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600. Bubba Wallace was suspended a race for right rear hooking Kyle Larson in 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.