Denny Hamlin turns screw on Spire Motorsports over Carson Hocevar controversy Joshua Mbu Tue, September 8, 2026 at 3:23 PM UTC 0 Denny Hamlin has weighed in on Carson Hocevar's latest controversy (Image: Getty) NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin has lambasted Spire Motorsports over title rival Carson Hocevar&x27;s latest controversy. Hocevar earned a new enemy on the track this past weekend as he spun onetime champion Brad Keselowski in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.
Denny Hamlin turns screw on Spire Motorsports over Carson Hocevar controversy
Joshua Mbu Tue, September 8, 2026 at 3:23 PM UTC
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Denny Hamlin has weighed in on Carson Hocevar's latest controversy (Image: Getty)
NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Denny Hamlin has lambasted Spire Motorsports over title rival Carson Hocevar's latest controversy. Hocevar earned a new enemy on the track this past weekend as he spun one-time champion Brad Keselowski in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.
The move left Keselowski furious, with the RFK Racing driver and team owner warning Hocevar about future retribution. Such retaliation could come at a huge cost for Hocevar, with the 22-year-old part of the 16-driver championship "Chase."
Keselowski's warning did little to deter Hocevar from adding fuel to the fire. The Spire superstar issued a sarcastic response before giving fans a discount on his online merchandise store, which generated over $200,000 following the Southern 500.
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"I do everything for TV and entertainment purposes based off everybody else [saying so]. Whatever makes good TV. I just do it for the clicks; you know what I mean?" Hocevar said post-race. Hocevar was slammed by two NASCAR legends, Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett, for a lack of humility in the commentary booth.
Current championship leader Hamlin is the latest to weigh in on Hocevar's latest controversy. While he refused to address Hocevar directly, Hamlin did issue a scathing message to his team, Spire.
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Hocevar goaded veteran Brad Keselowski after an on-track incident at Darlington (Image: Getty)
"You want me to talk about Spire? I'll talk about Spire," Hamlin said on his podcast. "There's no adults in the room. Clearly, in that building, no adults.
"That's my opinion. Because, how can you honestly think that's what's best for your company if you're running a serious organization? I think they're unserious."
Keselowski may have to think twice before making good on his threat to Hocevar, with NASCAR having a clear precedent for punishing drivers when retaliation is deemed deliberate. His warning of retribution could put him under the microscope should the pair clash again.
NASCAR has previously come down hard on drivers when comments made before an incident are used as evidence of intent. Ryan Preece, Keselowski's teammate, knows that only too well.
The No. 60 driver was hit with a penalty after deliberately taking out Ty Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway, with NASCAR pointing to Preece's earlier comments about retaliation when determining the punishment. Preece ultimately lost 25 championship points and was fined $50,000 for the incident.
Hocevar sits 12th in the 16-driver field and isn't one of the favorites to be crowned champion at the end of the 10-race postseason. However, he's embracing the underdog role, saying he's "playing with house money."
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: September 9, 2026 at 01:27AM on Source: RED MAG
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