Late in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen, there were a few anxious moments involving Spire Motorsports teammates Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar. In a Wednesday media availability, Hocevar explained that the two drivers have yet to speak about the on-track run-ins from last weekend’s race, which ended with the drivers securing 18th and 19th-place finishes, respectively.
Hocevar says the drivers plan to chat prior to Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway.
In the final Stage of the race, McDowell seemingly wheel-hopped, or got into Turn 1 too deep, which caused him to make contact with the right rear of Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet. This sent Hocevar spinning out.
Contact between @SpireMotorsport teammates. ? pic.twitter.com/A93Oou7pTU
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 10, 2025
Hocevar spent the remainder of the race attempting to make up the lost ground, and, incredibly, without the aid of a caution in the final Stage, Hocevar was able to work his way back by McDowell on the final lap of the race. However, the two teammates would then engage in some extremely hard racing for the 18th finishing position.
In the end, Hocevar would take the spot at the finish line and would take a swipe at his teammate after taking the checkered flag.
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
“Let him go, let him go, let him go, be done with it” Hocevar’s team told him on the radio after the driver crossed the finish line. “We’ll talk about it when we get out of the car.”
Hocevar responded back with, “I don’t want to talk to him, look at him, do not let him near me.”
After letting things simmer for a few days, Hocevar downplayed the incidents between McDowell and him.
“No, we haven’t talked or whatever. He wanted to sit down and talk at Richmond. I’m gone racing, and he’s gone as well. Maybe it’s the best-case scenario that we’re both gone,” Hocevar said in his media availability. “It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me. Either he made a mistake, or he misjudged, and you know obviously turned me. Then, we were just fighting for the last lap and last corner. Felt like that was plenty okay to do, considering the contact, that I could play defense for one corner to try to get the spot.”
Hocevar explained that he was as aggressive as he was with McDowell on the final lap due to wanting to secure a better qualifying draw for Richmond Raceway, where track position will undoubtedly be ultra-important on Saturday night.
“I think [with] Richmond being the next week, with the qualifying draw being so important, that one spot, I think, matters a lot for qualifying. Especially for how tough that place is to pass, but also, it’s super easy to go a lap down at that place,” Hocevar said. “Qualifying means everything, and especially going out late, you’re going to have a massive advantage.”
That being said, Hocevar and McDowell will still attempt to hash out any hard feelings from last Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen before they do battle this weekend at the 0.750-mile short track in Virginia.
