Contact Us
Headline  ·  NASCAR Cup Series

Ryan Blaney Reflects On The Wreck And Fight With Carson Hocevar At Bristol: “There Are Things That I Regret”

September 22, 2026  ·
  John Trent

Ryan Blaney made an appearance on Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin and shared his thoughts on what happened between him and Carson Hocevar, both on the track and following the race in the pits.

On Saturday night, Hocevar and Blaney were battling for second place as the laps were winding down. Blaney was able to get around Hocevar and get the second place position. As he went to secure the position Hocevar attempted a crossover and got into the rear of Blaney and sent him spinning into the outside wall.

Following the wreck, Blaney told USA’s Kim Coon, “We got clear off of 4 and then I tried to protect the bottom and he crossed, and never lifted, and then got crashed. That’s what I thought happened. That’s what it looked like happened.”

On Actions Detrimental, Blaney reflected, “We ran maybe a lap and a half, two laps, side-by-side trying to clear and got clear off of 4. And I left like half a lane to the wall when I did get clear ’cause I wanted to shade to try to stay on the bottom. And he just had a big run and crossed over. And, you know, looking back on it, I’d say it’s a 50/50. I was wanting to protect the bottom. He was wanting to get to the bottom and was there late by a little bit and neither of us wanted to give. I wanted the bottom. He wanted there and I ended up getting turned.”

“Really, I’d put it on both parties. I don’t think he’s 100% to blame. I’m not 100% to blame. I think it was just two guys fighting for the bottom at Bristol,” he added.

However, Blaney clearly did not like the end result, “There’s a couple options there. Everyone’s different, right? Everyone has their own code. And if it was a case of the second option, like you said, ‘Hey, I protected and I just got shucked middle of the corner or as we landed and I’m up a lane.’ Like alright. I probably deserve that. I didn’t think I deserved to just get absolutely trashed.”

“I haven’t had a problem with Carson in awhile. Like he turned me around at Atlanta a year or so ago, but other than that we haven’t had any problems. That’s just what happened. Ended up,” Blaney added. “It’s one of those things where people ask me, ‘Well, why didn’t you run the top there? I was like, ‘Well, I didn’t want to be there. I just passed him on the bottom. My car was the best there. I’m just trying to protect our spot in second. That was an extremely good spot to get. And trying to run Ty down for the win. Inside 50 to go so it’s like, man, I need to try to establish myself in second to have a shot to win this race.’ And hindsight’s 20/20.”

“It’s like, ‘What if you just don’t get crashed and you go to run third? It’s a great points day.’ But, hey, we’re trying to win the race at Bristol and trying to give ourselves the best chance. We’ve just come from the back twice. And those things happen, unfortunately,” he concluded.

 

After the wreck, Blaney and speaking with Kim Coon, Blaney told reporters he said something was going to happen after the race in regards to Hocevar, “Something is going to happen.”

That something turned into Blaney confronting Hocevar on pit road. He walked up to him, shoved him and grabbed him all the while exchanging some heated words with him. Hocevar then threw two right punches, clipping his hat and top of his head on the first one and then connecting on the second. Blaney was then drug away by a security member as well as crew members.

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

Blaney spoke about his frame of mind following the wreck, telling Hamlin, “It was kind of the opposite of what I am normally like. Usually, something happens, I kind of vent initially and then I calm down really quick. Saturday night was weird because I didn’t blow up initially. I was just trying to get my car started and it wouldn’t start. So they tow me back and we’re done. I wasn’t like furious, nothing like that. I was kind of more calm than I normally am, and it built over time to where it got to where it was. So, it was really the opposite of how I normally operates, which was strange. And I don’t know why that was. I really don’t.”

He went on to share that his frustration levels have been building, “Frustration has been building for the last few weeks. Darlington went okay. But just the Gateway deal last week of having a good car, losing brakes., throwing away a good finish, that stinks. I wrecked at Daytona. So I think it was just, ‘Man, what else can go wrong currently?’ And that part just started to boil a little bit in me.”

As far as the confrontation on pit road, Blaney said, “I really wasn’t planning on doing anything. … I didn’t tell any of my guys what I was doing. … In my mind, I’m not going to walk over there with six of my guys. … I’m going to need to do this myself. I think that’s kind of a rule, to me. So I just handed Hassler my phone. I just said, ‘Hold this and I left.’ And he had no idea what that meant.'”

“So I walk over there. And there are things that you regret, but I didn’t really have a huge plan,” he Blaney continued. “The only plan of mine was, ‘I’m going to have a stern conversation with Carson.’ I wasn’t planning on throwing anything. I just really wanted to grab him and pretty much yell at him and show my displeasure.”

Blaney noted he was not surprised that Hocevar defended himself after his aggressive actions, “Granted I kind of pushed him at the chest and kind of grabbed him pretty aggressively that you’re probably going to defend yourself. And he rightfully did.”

“First thing I know, he landed a pretty good right hand. … It got me. It got me pretty good. And the hat just kind of flung off my head,” he shared. “So when that happened, I was like, ‘Okay, I should probably return fire at this point.’ And so I had that prepared, and then Allen [Taylor], the security guy, he subdued that pretty quick. … So he got me and then by that the other Spire guys are kind of closing in to. So for the second right, I see the second one coming and I’m kinda immobilized. And in my mind, I’m like, ‘All right, I’m just going to eat this thing and continue to yell at him and stare at him while I just eat this other right.’ And I’ll give it to him, he tagged me in the same exact spot that he got me the first time. Right here in my cheekbone.”

“And so then we go to the ground, Allen got tackled by some of his guys and brought me down. And so I got back up, which was the funniest part of this thing, and then everyone forgot about me. …  I was like, ‘I got to get back in. … And so I got back in there and kind of tackled this one guy into Carson and tried to jab a left and kinda missed. At that point then really it was over.”

“There are things that I regret,” Blaney reflected. “I try to set a good example for kids who are watching, who are fans, their parents who are allowing these kids to watch races and root for their driver. And I try to act a certain way to what a kid would want to look up to. And I look back on those things and I definitely regret the way I acted. That’s really unlike me, but I was just frustrated.”

“I wish I wouldn’t have done that. I wish I would have gone about it a different way just from people watching and I don’t want to set a bad example. And I’ll be honest with you, I went over there and I got my ass kicked, for sure. I ate a two-piece and got tagged pretty good. I just wanted to show my displeasure,” he concluded.

NEXT: “Hocevar Probably Wins That Race”: Joey Logano Explains Why The 77 Failed To Get It Done

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Author: John Trent