NASCAR has confirmed that Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney will not be penalized or fined or otherwise sanctioned as a result of their pit lane brawl at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Hocevar and Blaney had contact on the track that sent Blaney into the wall and out of the race, while Hocevar went on to finish third.
After the race, Blaney approached Hocevar aggressively, which resulted in Hocevar landing two quick punches and Blaney retaliating.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell went on the “Harvick’s Happy Hour” podcast on Monday and told host Kevin Harvick that the series expects drivers to police themselves, as long as they aren’t using their cars as weapons for retaliation.
“We’re not going to encourage fighting, but what we are going to encourage is passion,” O’Donnell said.
Blaney also discussed the incident on Denny Hamlin’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast on Tuesday and said the fault of the wreck was 50/50. He was leading Hocevar and came down the track to take the inside line just as Hocevar reached is back bumper and had to make a choice.
“One was the nuclear option, which is the okay, if you’re going to come down when I’m got my run, I’m not lifting. That’s that’s one option. That’s the nuclear option, which is, you know, the outcome that is that guy is going to wreck,” Blaney explained. “The other option in my opinion is that you check up slightly and then when you get into the corner, he probably should shuck you then. You know, he just kind of gets you off the bottom. You know, that’s he’s probably going to clear you once you get knocked off the bottom there at that racetrack.”
Blaney said he didn’t think he “deserved to just get absolutely trashed,” and that “my thing was, he always choses the nuclear option.”
Both drivers are expected to be running in the top ten in the next race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 27, and are still fighting for position in The Chase postseason.
