NASCAR fines Hocevar $50,000 for endangering safety crew at Kansas

Carson Hocevar was fined $50,000 by NASCAR on Wednesday after officials concluded he put safety personnel at risk by revving his engine and spinning his tires while safety workers were attending his disabled car late in the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The penalty, listed as a behavioral violation, follows a sequence of incidents that left Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet disabled on the backstretch and unable to restart under its own power.

NASCAR said Hocevar spun on the backstretch and suffered multiple flat tires, prompting a caution and the deployment of safety crews. While those crews were on scene, he attempted to get the car moving by revving and spinning the tires, actions that the sanctioning body said endangered on-track personnel. Hocevar radioed his team that the car had four flat tires and he could not get it rolling. NASCAR also noted the incident occurred after he had already been involved in several on-track incidents during the race.

Hocevar’s day at Kansas had been punctuated by multiple contacts. Race reports show he ran into J.J. Yeley, contributing to an earlier caution, was involved in an 11-car restart pileup, and later spun again following contact with...