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Bubba Wallace says wreck with Carson Hocevar wasn't intentional
23XI Racing Bubba Wallace. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Bubba Wallace says wreck with Carson Hocevar at Martinsville wasn't intentional

By Samuel Stubbs  |  Last updated Mar 29, 2026 6:59 PM ET

Bubba Wallace made the most controversial move of Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville when he spun Carson Hocevar in turn 4 and ended up causing a multi-car crash. 

Wallace was frustrated that Hocevar had taken him three-wide on a restart just two laps prior and gave Hocevar a hefty shove going into turn 3 before spinning him in front of the field seconds later. 

Bubba Wallace explains Martinsville crash

However, Wallace said he did not mean to ultimately turn Hocevar. 

"I misjudged," Wallace told Fox Sports. "I didn't appreciate the three-wide into [turn] 1. I misjudged the center of the corner [in turn 3]. I didn't mean to turn him. What a frustrating day, man. Just wasn't the day we wanted. I hate it for our team. Just frustration."

The crash relegated Wallace to a 36th-place finish and dropped him eight spots in the points standings, from third to 11th. Ironically, Hocevar went on to finish Sunday's race in 17th, though his team did have to make significant repairs to his No. 77 Chevrolet.

Wallace's 23XI Racing teammate, Riley Herbst, also sustained terminal damage in the crash, while Austin Hill, Zane Smith, Chris Buescher and many other drivers were involved in the incident. 

Samuel Stubbs
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Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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