Carson Hocevar, the second-year Cup Series driver, was fined $50,000 by NASCAR this week for revving his engine while a safety worker was nearby at Kansas Speedway. Hocevar acknowledges the fine but stresses that his actions were not intentional and stemmed from a misunderstanding during a stalled car situation.
Incident Occurred During Kansas Speedway Race
During the race, Hocevar’s car spun out and stalled on the track, a situation he describes as common for his vehicle. The car was stuck in second gear, which forced him to restart the engine to shift into neutral and allow the crew to tow it safely. When he fired up the engine, the tires spun briefly, catching NASCAR’s attention and leading to the penalty.
I fired it up just to throw it into neutral,
Hocevar explained.
“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.”
— Carson Hocevar, Cup Series Driver
Hocevar shared that earlier attempts to move the car failed because the tires were lifted off the ground and simply spun without gaining traction. He pointed out that NASCAR judges incidents based on visible actions, not the driver’s intent, which contributed to the fine.
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. That’s on me not … 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.
— Carson Hocevar, Cup Series Driver
NASCAR Officials Aware of the Situation’s Nuance
According to Hocevar, the NASCAR official who relayed the fine to him seemed surprised he did not dispute it. Hocevar acknowledged the fine’s justification, recognizing the governing body’s role in enforcing rules without insight into the driver’s intentions.
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.
— Carson Hocevar, Cup Series Driver
Reflecting on the specifics, Hocevar noted the RPMs reached around 1200 during the restart, which inadvertently caused the tires to spin before he quickly shut off the engine.
It got to like 1200 RPMs right? I just fired it up, threw it into neutral and shut it off, and I didn’t even realize the tires were spinning. They called it right.
— Carson Hocevar, Cup Series Driver
Responsibility for the Fine and Its Impact
Hocevar accepted full responsibility for the infraction, stating that the penalty was well-deserved despite his unintentional mistake. He also wished the fine would have been set at a lower amount, as $50,000 is a significant financial burden.
I spun the tires. It’s me.
— Carson Hocevar, Cup Series Driver
The fine highlights the strict enforcement of safety regulations by NASCAR, particularly concerning interactions between drivers and safety personnel on the track. This incident underscores the challenges drivers face when managing stalled vehicles under pressure, while NASCAR officials must make quick judgments based on clear-cut rules rather than intent.
Moving forward, Hocevar and his team will likely adjust their procedures to avoid similar situations, ensuring compliance with NASCAR’s safety standards while addressing technical difficulties during races. This fine serves as a reminder of how even small actions can lead to costly penalties in the competitive environment of Cup Series racing.
