Dale Earnhardt Jr. called on NASCAR to act after Zane Smith hit Carson Hocevar at high speed on the cooldown lap after the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The incident highlighted safety concerns about post-race contact in modern NASCAR Cup Series cars. On October 20, NASCAR fined Smith $50,000 for violating safety rules and deducted no points.
Tyler Reddick won the race, but tensions between Smith, who drives the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, and Hocevar of Spire Motorsports overshadowed the closing moments.
Earnhardt Jr. addressed the incident on his Dale Jr. Download podcast before NASCAR announced its penalty.
He argued that drivers must respect safety boundaries, even when on-track disagreements carry over after the checkered flag.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Slams Zane Smith After NASCAR Crash
The tension began during a late restart when Ross Chastain made contact with Hocevar entering Turn 3. The contact pushed Hocevar up the track and into Smith and Josh Berry, costing both drivers positions. Hocevar finished 12th, while Smith finished 15th.
After the checkered flag, Smith accelerated on the cooldown lap and struck Hocevar’s rear at high speed.
Earnhardt Jr., who has connections to both drivers through their time at JR Motorsports, criticized Smith’s response.
“I mean, the race is over, and Zane comes running up on the back of Hocevar and hits him going 130 miles an hour or some sh*t.”
He acknowledged his respect for Smith but insisted the contact crossed a line.
“Look, man, I think Zane Smith is a cool dude. Zane drove race cars here at JR Motorsports at one time, so has Hocevar, but you cannot do that. You can’t run into the back of a guy in one of these cars.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Explains NASCAR Safety Concerns
Earnhardt Jr. explained why he viewed the incident as more serious than similar contact in lower racing series. He pointed to the safety risks associated with direct impacts involving modern NASCAR Cup Series cars.
He referenced previous incidents involving drivers backing directly into walls, including Riley Herbst and Alex Bowman, as examples of the concerns surrounding impacts in the current cars.
“I know they’ve made changes to these cars, but these things do not absorb these types of hits, and you’re hitting a guy directly in the back of the race car at 130 miles an hour,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
He added that the potential for injury made the incident unacceptable, regardless of the earlier racing contact.
“You can say you don’t give a f*ck what happens to Hocevar. You can feel how you want to feel about Hocevar. You can hate his guts if you’re Zane Smith, but you just shouldn’t do that.”
Earnhardt Jr. also warned that failing to punish high-speed post-race contact could encourage other NASCAR drivers to do the same.
He acknowledged that some post-race incidents involve minor contact, but argued that Smith’s actions were different because of the speed and potential safety consequences.
Zane Smith Receives $50,000 NASCAR Fine
NASCAR announced on October 20 that it fined Smith $50,000 for the Phoenix Raceway incident. Officials cited Sections 10.5.2.5a and 4.4a of the NASCAR Rule Book, which cover conduct that compromises event or participant safety.
The sanction did not include a points deduction. NASCAR described its decision as a case-by-case response and said it treated safety violations with the highest level of seriousness.
Smith and Hocevar also have a history of tension. Earlier in the 2026 season, the two drivers made contact at Chicagoland Speedway, prompting a meeting with NASCAR officials.
After the Phoenix incident, Smith received radio information that Chastain had initiated the earlier contact involving Hocevar. Smith reportedly dismissed the explanation.
The $50,000 fine addressed the immediate incident, while the rivalry between Smith and Hocevar remains a storyline heading into the next race. NASCAR’s decision also reinforced the consequences of post-race actions that officials consider a threat to driver safety.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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