Carson Hocevar says Ryan Blaney 'spun himself' before instigating fight

Carson Hocevar. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carson Hocevar says Ryan Blaney 'spun himself' before instigating fight at Bristol

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Sep 19, 2026 11:13 PM ET

Carson Hocevar literally took one on the chin from Ryan Blaney at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday after being involved in a crash late in Saturday's Bristol Night Race with the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Blaney spun off the front bumper of Hocevar going into Turn 1 and told USA Network that he "got crashed," but Hocevar, of course, saw things differently.

"I wasn't trying to wreck him," Hocevar said, per Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. "It just looked like to me he got a run, and I went left, and he spun. He went after me, and I wasn't going to take it. He spun himself and then wants to instigate a fight."

Ryan Blaney took action against Carson Hocevar

For what it's worth, Hocevar also landed a couple of punches on Blaney before the fight was broken up by a host of team members, security guards and NASCAR officials.

Ryan Blaney punches Carson Hocevar. pic.twitter.com/C2xBpKZGAU
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) September 20, 2026

Notably, Blaney is the first driver who felt wronged by Hocevar and actually took action, whether it be on or off the racetrack. Whether or not Blaney's punches sent a message to Hocevar remains to be seen, but his somewhat laid-back outlook on the situation implies that he won't be changing his aggressive driving style anytime soon.

Needless to say, both Hocevar and Blaney will have a microscope on them next week at Kansas Speedway.

Samuel Stubbs

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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