Spire Motorsports suspends Carson Hocevar for Homestead race; Justin Haley to drive No. 77
Spire Motorsports has suspended Carson Hocevar for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway following his on-track conduct at Martinsville Speedway. Justin Haley will replace Hocevar behind the wheel of the No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet.
The decision comes after NASCAR penalized Hocevar for behavioral violations stemming from Sunday’s race at Martinsville. Hocevar was fined $100,000 and docked 25 driver points for actions detrimental to stock car racing and multiple violations of the sport’s code of conduct.
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said the organization made the decision after considering the impact on the entire team, adding that the situation was about more than potential NASCAR penalties.
“A decision like this has a lot of variables and a cascading effect across an organization like ours,” Dickerson said. “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.”
Dickerson said the organization values Hocevar but believes his actions at Martinsville fell short of the standards expected of its drivers and employees.
“The way Carson conducted himself at Martinsville doesn’t meet the standard we set for our drivers, team members or employees, and there are consequences for that,” Dickerson said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t love him and support him.”
Hocevar also issued a statement accepting responsibility for his actions and apologizing to the organization, sponsors and fans.
“This is an embarrassing day for me,” Hocevar said. “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.”
Hocevar acknowledged that his on-track actions crossed a line and said he understood why Spire Motorsports decided to put another driver in the car for the Homestead race.
“I crossed the line with my on-track actions and gave Jeff and Spire Motorsports no option but to put someone else in the 77 car this weekend at Homestead,” Hocevar said.
He added that he plans to support the organization this weekend and return in 2027 as a better driver, competitor and teammate.
NASCAR also issued penalties to Josh Berry following the Martinsville race. Berry was fined $50,000 and docked 25 driver points for actions detrimental to stock car racing.
In a separate safety-related penalty, NASCAR suspended two members of the No. 60 team, James Price and Samuel Wright, for the next two Cup Series events, through and including the Clash at Daytona on Feb. 13. The suspensions stemmed from an improperly installed tire and wheel that became separated from the vehicle during an event.
Despite the suspension, Dickerson said Spire Motorsports intends to approach the Homestead race as a united organization and turn its attention toward the 2027 season.
“Racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism from everyone who represents Spire Motorsports,” Dickerson said. “We’ll go to Homestead united and compete as an organization. After that, we can get ready for Daytona in February with the right mindset to contend for a championship.”
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