Ryan Blaney might be feeling some regret after the post-race brawl at Bristol last Saturday, but don’t expect Carson Hocevar to apologize for a single thing that went down. The driver of the No. 77 is straight-up saying he wouldn’t take back any part of the wild scene after the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
Bristol Exploded: On Track Contact Led to Post-Race Fists
So, what even happened? With only 43 laps left in the race, Hocevar and Blaney were locked in a battle for second place. As they flew into Turn 1, Hocevar made contact, sending Blaney’s No. 12 car slamming into the outside wall and completely out of the race. Rough stuff, right? But the real show started after the checkered flag. Blaney, understandably heated, walked right up to Hocevar and grabbed him by the chest. And Hocevar? He fired back, landing two quick right hands right to Blaney’s face! Security stepped in to break it up, but Blaney actually broke free at one point and managed to land a punch of his own on Hocevar. Wild! The craziest part? Neither driver got penalized for the whole incident. Hocevar ended up finishing third in the race, while Blaney was left with a 33rd-place DNF.
“Don’t Think So”: Hocevar’s Zero Regrets and Dad’s Unexpected Pride
When asked if he regretted anything from Bristol, Hocevar’s answer was short and sweet: “Don’t think so.” Talk about standing your ground! He did mention he was worried about how his dad would react to all the drama. Turns out, the Spire Motorsports driver had nothing to worry about. His dad, who Hocevar described as the “least controversial person” he’s ever met, was actually *proud* that his son stood up for himself. Imagine that! “My dad’s probably the least controversial person I’ve ever met in my life. He’s got a local business, so he freaks out if he gets a bad Google review. I texted him. I was like, ‘Man, sorry about that,’ and he was proud that I defended myself. I feel like that’s what you’d want to see out of your son,” Hocevar said. Both drivers clarified they haven’t had a ton of issues on track before this, and Hocevar doesn’t even hold disdain for Blaney after the brawl. He even smiled when he brought up buying a tank recently, thinking it could be some “great bonding time” for them. Seriously, a tank? You can’t make this stuff up!
Despite the controversy, Hocevar is actually on a heater right now in the Chase. He started the 10-race postseason in 12th place in the points standings and has already climbed to eighth! “The Hurricane” kicked off the Chase with an 11th-place finish at Darlington, followed it up with an eighth-place run at World Wide Technology Raceway, and then that third-place result at Bristol. This kid, in only his third full-time Cup campaign, is making his first Chase appearance this season, and he’s absolutely not out of the championship fight yet. He’s trailing points leader Kyle Larson by 85 points as he rolls into Kansas next. Can he keep that momentum going? You know we’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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