Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith made contact again at Phoenix Raceway. Smith hit the back of Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet on the cooldown lap after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.
Denny Hamlin had a close view of the contact that led to it. He talked about it on this week’s episode of Actions Detrimental, his motorsports podcast.
A chain reaction in the closing laps causes tempers to flare post-race. pic.twitter.com/iuWGk0ONqb
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 19, 2026
The trouble came on the final run, after Kyle Larson crashed with 29 laps left. Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet hit Hocevar from behind entering Turn 3, and Hocevar was pushed into Smith. Hamlin said he believed Hocevar also hit Josh Berry.
Smith’s crew radioed that Chastain had shoved Hocevar into him. Smith replied, “I don’t give a f***,” according to Racing America. Smith also slammed into Hocevar’s rear bumper on the cooldown lap.
Hocevar finished 12th, and Smith finished 15th. MotorBiscuit covered Smith’s post-race comments about Hocevar.
Hamlin was a lap down at the time and sitting in the free-pass spot. He said he was hoping for a caution as Hocevar and Chastain raced in front of him.
“They were taking major swipes at each other,” Hamlin said. “I saw Carson take a major swipe at the No. 1 mid-corner and miss.”
“As someone that was sitting in the lucky dog position, I was like, ‘Please wreck. Come on, just… Carson, I’m rooting for you. Just do Carson things here,'” Hamlin said.
He noticed that Hocevar did not slow down after Chastain hit him. He added that Hocevar may have been out of control.
“What was interesting about when Ross sent him in there is Carson didn’t hit the brakes,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin said Smith’s hit after the race was probably too aggressive.
“But then after the race, Zane… Zane zinged him. That’s probably a little aggressive,” Hamlin said. “Probably a little aggressive.”
He compared it with Charlotte the week before. Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact on the cooldown lap there. NASCAR’s Mike Forde said the incident was close to a penalty but “did not fully rise to necessitating a penalty.”
“I don’t know how NASCAR will see it, view it,” Hamlin said. “They let post-race antics go last week at Charlotte. When you set a precedent like that, do you just… What’s the difference?”
When a co-host noted that hitting a car from behind is different from bumping its door, Hamlin agreed. “That’s fair. Very fair argument, and you’re probably right,” he said.
Hamlin also said the contact with Chastain showed how other drivers treat Hocevar on track.
“This is where Carson’s just not getting the benefit of the doubt,” Hamlin said. He added, “Nobody’s willing to cut the guy a break or give him any room. They’re going to crowd him.”
Hocevar started 28th and lost a lap early. He worked his way up to sixth before the late contact.
“I just didn’t get a great restart, and then just got ran through there and bobbled around, so it just didn’t work out,” Hocevar said. “I got hit pretty hard.”
Hocevar also said Chili’s bought the primary sponsorship for the race. “They bought this race and convinced another sponsor to stand down just because they had to get something in the Chase,” he said. MotorBiscuit reported Hocevar’s explanation of the surprise Chili’s return.
The Cup Series races next at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.