KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Six days removed from the post-race antics that put two of NASCAR’s top stars in the rivalry limelight, Ryan Blaney — sporting a black eye under his hat brim — says his Bristol Motor Speedway beef last weekend with Cup Series rival Carson Hocevar was out of character, but also the culmination of multiple factors in what’s been a frustrating postseason.
Blaney’s remarks came on a rainy Friday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, site of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and the fourth of 10 rounds in The Chase presented by Mobil 1.
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The conflict between the two championship-eligible drivers reached a pugilistic peak inside Bristol’s high banks Saturday night, when an on-track skirmish sidelined Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford with 43 laps left in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. That led to a physical confrontation on pit road after the checkered flag, with Blaney approaching where Hocevar had parked his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The two traded punches amid a fierce verbal volley before they were separated.
The night ended with Blaney’s second consecutive DNF, a two-spot drop in the Cup Series standings and a break from his usually reserved nature.
“I mean, it was definitely unlike me,” Blaney said. “… It’s kind of the opposite of how I normally am. You know, I get fired up quickly, but I calm down really quickly, and the other night, it just kind of slowly built over the half-hour or so. I look back at what caused me to be so upset to where I would do something like that, so I think it’s just kind of a combination of like the last month.”
Blaney explained in a Monday appearance on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast with Denny Hamlin that he “didn’t really have a huge plan” for how his meeting with Hocevar would go, only that he’d intended to grab him and raise his voice. He added that Hocevar’s decision to defend himself with fisticuffs seemed like a natural reaction, one that he “rightfully” took.
No penalties were issued to either party, a move by NASCAR officials that Blaney agreed with.
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“I think they made the correct choice to not do anything,” Blaney said. “I think it would be one thing I would fully understand of getting slapped with a penalty if I went over and initiated a punch or something like that. But in that situation, I kind of initiated confrontation, and Carson defended himself, and like, I’m happy they didn’t do anything. They just kind of let it simmer, and again I think it’s the right call in that situation.”
Blaney had a fresh shiner under his left eye, the result of two initial shots from Hocevar during their post-race face-off.
“It’s fine,” Blaney said with a laugh. “I know. I wish it healed a little bit quicker than this, but it did not.”
This story will be updated.