Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith made contact again at Phoenix Raceway. Smith behind Hocevari No. The 77 Chevrolet hit a cooldown lap after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.
Denny Hamlin had a close look at the contact that led to him. He talked about it in this week’s episode Detrimental actionshis motorsports podcast.
The trouble came in the final race, after Kyle Larson crashed out with 29 laps to go. Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet hit Hocevar entering Turn 3, and Hocevar was pushed into Smith. Hamlin said he believes Hocevar also hit Josh Berry.
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The sailor told Smith that Chastain was thrusting into him. The carpenter replied, “Not af***” according to ” Racing America. Smith also pushed into Hocevar’s rear bumper on the cooling lap.
Hocevar finished 12th, and Faber finished 15th. MotorBiscuit covered Smith’s post-race comments about Hocevar.
Hamlin was on his lap at the time and was sitting in the free pass spot. He said he was hoping for a warning as Hocevar and Chastain ran ahead of him.
“They were taking bigger swipes at each other,” Hamlin said. “I saw Carson get promoted to No. 1 middle corner and I miss him.”
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“Like somebody who was sitting in the happy dog position, I was like, ‘Please wreck. Come on, just … Carson, I’m going to knock you out. Just this right here, Carson,'” Hamlin said.
He noticed that Hocevar didn’t slow down after Chastain hit him. He added that Hocevar was probably out of control.
“What was interesting about when Ross sent him in was Carson didn’t hit the target,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin said Smith’s hitting after the race was probably too aggressive.
“But then after the race, Zane … Zane surrounded him. That was probably a little aggressive,” Hamlin said. “Probably a little aggressive.”
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He compared her to Andrea the week before. Michael McDowell and Ir. They made contact with Ricky Stenhouse on a cold lap there. NASCAR’s Mike Forde said the incident was close to a penalty but “didn’t fully rise to the need for a penalty.”
“I don’t know how NASCAR is going to see it, consider,” Hamlin said. “Int post-race antics going to Charlotte last week. When you set a precedent like this, like you… What does it matter?”
When the co-host noticed that hitting the car from behind was different from bumping his door, Hamlin agreed. “That’s fine. A very nice argument, and you probably are,” he said.
Hamlin also said the interaction with Chastain shows how other drivers treat Hocevar on the track.
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“This is where Carson is not just a benefit,” Hamlin said. He added, “Nobody wants to interrupt the guy or give him any room. To disturb him.”
Hocevar started 28 and lost on the first lap. He worked his way up to sixth before late contact.
“I just didn’t get a great start, and then I was just running around and flying around, so it just didn’t work out,” Hocevar said. “I got hit pretty hard.”
Hocevar also said that Chile bought the first championship for the race. “They bought this race and convinced another sponsor to back down because they had to get something in the Chase,” he said. MotorBiscuit reported Hocevar’s explanation of the pure return.
The Cup Series follows the show at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.