Carson Hocevar believes his own reaction played a major role in the multi-car crash that sparked controversy during Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
The Spire Motorsports driver came under heavy criticism after a Lap 83 restart incident that collected several contenders, including Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon.
After the race, Hocevar admitted he made mistakes in both his decision-making and his response to the developing wreck.
Hocevar says he was trying to gain too much on the restart
The incident began when Hocevar made contact with John Hunter Nemechek during a restart, triggering a chain reaction that spread through the field.
The crash ultimately caught Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Reddick and Dillon, ending any chance some of those drivers had of competing for the win.
Reflecting on the moment afterward, Hocevar acknowledged that his aggressive approach may have contributed to the situation.
“There were a few moves that didn’t work out. I was trying to get two when I should have just done one… It’s hard to be on kill and go on instinct to get eight spots. Then, turn it off and get one at a time. I felt like the race was won or lost with how good of a restart I had.”
The comments echoed concerns raised by Wallace after the race, when he suggested Hocevar’s speed was not the issue but that mistakes continued to put himself and others in difficult positions.
Hocevar believes his evasive move made the crash worse
While Hocevar initially thought the field had stacked up unexpectedly in front of him, he later admitted his own reaction may have escalated the incident.
The Michigan native explained that he turned left to avoid trouble as the cars ahead compressed entering the corner.
“It looked like they kinda accordioned a little bit. I really didn’t expect it. I turned left. I was probably going to go three wide but I’m shocked it spun him left… My evasiveness probably wrecked him and everybody there. If I just kept the wheel straight, I think we’re fine.”
That admission came after Wallace and Dillon delivered very different responses to the accident. Wallace chose a private conversation with Hocevar following the race, while Dillon openly expressed frustration after seeing his afternoon ruined by the crash.
Despite the controversy, Hocevar recovered to finish fifth at his home track.
However, his post-race comments suggest he understands why fellow competitors were frustrated and why the Lap 83 incident became one of the defining moments of the race.
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