The boiling tension has finally entered the home turf. Since his 2024 rookie season, Carson Hocevar has primarily been known for ruffling the feathers of his Cup Series peers. From spinning out Harrison Burton in the 2024 Daytona race and landing a hefty fine to annoying multiple drivers simultaneously this year in Atlanta, Hocevar’s antics knew no bounds. But last weekend in Watkins Glen, his aggression finally reached his own team, Spire Motorsports.
The No. 77 Spire driver has been like a beacon of light for the team. Carson Hocevar’s jaw-dropping stats are no mystery. In 2024, he clinched 6 top tens and 1 top five en route to a Rookie of the Year award. In 2025, he is doing even better, but at the cost of friction with his teammate.
Fireworks go off inside Spire Motorsports
Duty called for Spire Motorsports racers recently. In the Xfinity Series, Kaulig Racing cut ties with Josh Williams after lackluster results. Hence, they tapped both Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell’s talents for Iowa and Watkins Glen, respectively. This teamwork in Xfinity was commendable, and it reflected a solid camaraderie that the drivers share, despite their age gap. However, that unity fizzled out in the Watkins Glen Cup Series race. On lap 52, Hocevar was entering Turn 1 while running inside the top 20. Right then, he received a tap from Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet.
Carson Hocevar spun out as a result of that contact, initiated by Michael McDowell, apparently in retaliation for his teammate’s earlier moves. He could eventually return to the top 20. But he ended up clinching an 18th-place finish, yet not before a hard battle with McDowell. Journalist Toby Christie posted a video of this scuffle on X, writing: “Here is a video of a pissing match between teammates Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar at the end of the race at The Glen. Earlier in the race, Hocevar got sent spinning by McDowell in T1. It all ended with this aggressive battle for 18th.”
Here is a video of a pissing match between teammates Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar at the end of the race at The Glen. Earlier in the race, Hocevar got sent spinning by McDowell in T1. It all ended with this aggressive battle for 18th. https://t.co/jqRinBtnnX
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) August 11, 2025
Eventually, it was a downer weekend for the entire Spire Motorsports team. Hocevar stood as its top finisher in 18th, with McDowell sandwiched in between in 19th, while Justin Haley was mired back in 27th. The regular season finale in Daytona will probably be the team’s final chance to crash the 2025 Cup Series playoff party.
For Carson Hocevar, however, Richmond Raceway presents an optimistic opportunity. The sophomore finished eighth in the summer race at Richmond Raceway a year ago, and he owns a win at the Virginia short track in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hocevar put forward his optimism before the Watkins Glen race: “I’d feel a lot, you know, if you told me which one was a better opportunity, Richmond or Watkins Glen, then I’d say Richmond, but our stuff’s fast here, but you know, there are guys that can put together cleaner laps and more consistent laps still.”
Evidently, the battle should go forward even beyond the Watkins Glen race. While Spire Motorsports drivers jostled with each other, another Cup team also faced an internal conflict.
The tensions are running high
With Shane van Gisbergen absolutely dominating Watkins Glen, his peers had little chance. Now, only two races remain in the regular season – Richmond and Daytona. And many need a clutch effort to land a late playoff position, remaining in need of a walk-off win. This tense situation has left even teammates vying against each other, as we saw the Spire Motorsports drivers’ tangle. Similarly, Legacy Motor Club also saw a similar conflict. Erik Jones had cracked the top 20 in the final lap of stage 2 after overcoming handling issues, and disaster dawned. His own teammate, John Hunter Nemechek, washed up into him, sending Jones wide when the latter was navigating the esses.
This could have easily turned ugly between the two LMC drivers. However, Jones did a remarkable job of saving his car, being able to ease it back around to wrap up the stage in 18th. Then he used a good strategy to crack the top ten, and pitted only with 20 laps remaining. Over the final 20 laps, Jones was able to carve his way from outside the top 20 up to 12th on fresher tires. This resulted in his best road course finish since the 2022 ROVAL race. The same positive fate could not reach Nemechek, who ended up in a much more precarious position with Ty Gibbs in The Carousel.
Clearly, Spire Motorsports drivers were not alone in terms of internal troubles. Hopefully, both Spire and Legacy teams can clear up their differences in the last stretch of the regular season.
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