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Carson Hocevar Explains Wreck and Fight With Ryan Blaney At Bristol

September 20, 2026  ·
  John Trent

Carson Hocevar shared his point of view regarding the wreck and fight with Ryan Blaney at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

With less than 50 laps left in the race, both Hocevar and Blaney were battling for second. Blaney was able to get around Hocevar and moved to protect the inside line. At the same time, Hocevar attempted a crossover and got into the rear of Blaney and sent him spinning into the inside wall.

Blaney made it clear he was going to do something about Hocevar after getting wrecked and preceded to confront him on pit road after the race. He approached Hocevar, shared some words with him, gave him a shove, and grabbed him. Hocevar responded with two right punches before his crew members drug Blaney off and pushed him to the ground.

Blaney then was able to get back to Hocevar and gave him a left jab to the face.

After the fight, Hocevar spoke with USA. First, regarding the wreck he said, “I wasn’t trying to wreck him. It just looked like to me, he— I got a run and kinda went left and he spun. I spun him.”

As for the fight, he relayed, “There wasn’t a whole lot of talking. He just kinda like said one thing and then went after me. And I wasn’t going to take it.”

“That was with the 54,” Hocevar continued. “I mean I got ran into a lot for the win. That was for second and he wants to come fight. I don’t think anybody’s left behind me so they got an old school Bristol show here.”

“I don’t know what I did wrong there,” he said. “I got a run to cross him over. Looked like spun himself and then he wants to instigate a fight. I was going to finish that. And then seemed the crowd was pretty pumped up so I was going to play the audience for a second. 

Hocevar also shared in the media scrum, “That was the first time I ever hit anybody. It’s a cool story at least it’s going to be at Bristol of all places.”

When asked if he got Blaney good, he responded, “I thought so. I don’t know if he tripped on somebody or got a decent one in. I don’t know what a good one feels like. I’ve never thrown one.”

As for the wreck, he said, “I kinda crossed him over there and I felt like I was at least at his left rear and it looked like he just kept coming down. And I was on the brakes pretty hard. And, you know, obviously he spun and it resulted in that. I was just trying to stop my bleeding. I got loose there and was trying to just cross him over  and get back to second because I knew that was going to be important. And yeah, I don’t know if he made a poor decision or—. They were telling me, the spotter said, ‘Inside.’ I don’t know. But I think everybody saw the intensity of the Chase. I don’t know if he’s mad at me, or just mad at the situation, or both, or if I’m an easy punching bag. I don’t know.”

Hocever went on to share that he was only informed briefly after the race that Blaney planned to confront him, “It wasn’t ’til about two seconds before, they’re like, ‘Hey, he might come over here.’ And then I saw him and I was like, ‘Okay, he’s moving pretty fast for a convo.’ And then he grabbed me and I was like, ‘Okay, well I’m not going to wait.’ I’ve seen enough of these. I’m just going to start swinging and see what happens.”

From there he went on to describe the post-race interaction with the fans as a “very cool moment for me.” He added, “It makes you feel a little better for losing. You know what I mean? We get a cool story and we get to be in the highlight reel, I guess.  ‘Cause, you know, that’s, of course, everything I want to be apart of.”

NEXT: Kenny Schrader Unloads On Carson Hocevar For His Post-Race Interview At Darlington

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Author: John Trent