Brawl in Bristol: Hocevar, Blaney exchange blows on pit road after late crash

In the minutes after he was wrecked out of Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Ryan Blaney promised that something was going to happen with Carson Hocevar.

As it turns out, that something was thrown fists.

Tempers boiled over in the aftermath of the pair’s controversial crash in the closing stages of the Cup Series’ first traditional Chase race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

After stewing over a late crash between the pair, Blaney marched directly to Hocevar on pit road after the race’s conclusion. Following a quick shove from Blaney, Hocevar wasted no time throwing the first punch. He ultimately landed two, with Blaney later charging back to throw a left hook of his own.

“There wasn’t a whole of talking,” Hocevar said. “He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn’t going to take it. … I got ran into a lot for the win. That was for second and he wants to come fight.”

“They got an old-school Bristol show here,” he added.

Blaney and Hocevar had been battling for second and the chance to chase down Ty Gibbs’ battered No. 54 Toyota when they came together off of Turn 4. Hocevar had fresher tires and track position after a strong prior restart. But with the faster car throughout the night, Blaney had been able to chase the Michigander down and clear him for second off of the corner.

But Hocevar wasn’t done. The Spire Motorsports star had rolled the top and had momentum. He closed to Blaney’s rear bumper quickly and tried to move low.

Seeing Hocevar’s move coming, Blaney dove low to defend.

The two came together and Hocevar didn’t lift.

Seconds later, Blaney’s wrecked No. 12 sat below the apron, done for the night while Hocevar continued on in second. Blaney ended up 33rd at night’s end, while Hocevar soldiered on to third after a tense closing run.

Blaney made a quick donation to NASCAR’s swear jar in his television interview. Asked if there was a party to be blamed, he had a simple response.

“Oh, I don’t f**king know,” Blaney said. “I got crashed. Each person’s going to say they did nothing wrong.”

“I just feel like he didn’t lift,” Blaney later added. “I left him plenty of room for a lap before that. Didn’t chop him. Didn’t run him in the fence or anything like I easily could have. I protected the bottom and he just decided he wanted to be there, didn’t lift and wrecked me.”

Hocevar defended his actions, saying he “wasn’t trying to wreck him.”

“It looked like, to me, I got a run and kind of went left,” Hocevar said. “He [blocked] and I spun him.”

The biggest blow to Blaney may not have been physical. Saturday’s accident took a potential winning night and left the 2023 Cup champ with few points to show for it. He unofficially sits sixth in the championship standings leaving Bristol, 52 points behind new frontrunner Kyle Larson.

Hocevar sits another 33 points back in eighth after a slow start to the Chase. It was a much-needed good points night for the rising young star, but one that comes with the addition of another rival on track.

“I haven’t had a problem with him for probably a year-and-a-half, but it’s getting old,” Blaney said.