Spire suspends Carson Hocevar for Cup finale at Homestead - ESPN

Spire Motorsports has suspended NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar for Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, saying «racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism.»

Hocevar was accused of intentionally brake-checking competitor Austin Cindric following a restart at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. He denied doing it on purpose.

«A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours,» Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a 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."

Cindric finished 36th, with his No. 2 Ford's front end destroyed by multiple collisions with Hocevar, who seemed to slam on the brakes multiple times to initiate contact. Cindric declined interviews after leaving the care center, but he radioed his team that Hocevar «had a mental breakdown» in the incidents.

Hocevar, who has been involved in several run-ins this season, said he «got lost there for a second» and denied hitting Cindric intentionally.

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«This is an embarrassing day for me,» Hocevar posted on social media. «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 [No.] 77 car this weekend at Homestead. I'll be rooting for the entire organization this weekend and look forward to coming back in 2027