NASCAR has issued penalties to Carson Hocevar and Josh Berry following Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Chase race at Martinsville Speedway, the sanctioning body announced on Tuesday.
Hocevar has been docked 25 driver points and fined $100,000 for multiple violations of Sections 4.4a of the NASCAR Rule Book: Penalty Options; Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Berry has been docked 25 driver points and fined $50,000 for the same violation.
Specifically, NASCAR stated that the penalties relate to wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from competition as a result.
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Spire Motorsports announced earlier Tuesday the suspension of Hocevar for Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Sun., 3 p.m. ET, NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for his on-track actions at Martinsville. SMT data showed Hocevar brake-checked Austin Cindric in Stage 2 of Sunday’s penultimate season contest, resulting in terminal damage for the No. 2 Team Penske Ford.
Hocevar was also involved in a single-car spin that brought the caution out on Lap 198 as he was being put a lap down by leader William Byron.
Berry brake-checked another Team Penske driver, Ryan Blaney, on Lap 253 in a similar incident to Hocevar/Cindric. Blaney suffered heavy front-end damage before spinning in Turn 1, causing a caution. Penske shares a technical alliance with the Wood Brothers Racing team that Berry currently drives for. Sunday is Berry’s final race in the No. 21 Ford before turning to Legacy Motor Club for the 2027 season.
Additionally, the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford team was penalized under Sections 8.8.10.4 A&D: Tires and Wheels, Safety Violations, for the loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle. On a restart on Lap 225, driver Ryan Preece’s right-rear wheel fell off, causing a caution. Jackman Samuel Wright and rear tire changer James Price have been suspended from the next two Cup Series events through the Wheatley Vodka Clash exhibition race on Feb. 13, 2027, at Daytona International Speedway.