Zane Smith’s crew member rips Carson Hocevar, calling him “fu**ing re**rd” for Iowa disaster

Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith
Carson Hocevar(L) and Zane Smith(R) - Source: Imagn

Zane Smith's No.38 team was left fuming after a final-stage incident with Carson Hocevar at Iowa Speedway. A crew member of Smith's team confronted Hocevar during a post-race interview and hurled slurs at the Spire Motorsports driver.

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During Sunday's (August 3) Iowa Corn 350, Hocevar had leveraged multiple caution periods to position himself among the top-15, but a final lap spin on Stage 2 sent him further back. On lap 229, the #77 driver was running alongside Smith when he got loose and tagged the #38 Ford, causing him to find the barriers.

The incident derailed Smith's mid-pack run and dropped him six laps down for a dismal 36th, while Hocevar finished among the top-10 at eighth. During a post-race interview with NASCAR reporter Stephen Strumph, Smith's crew chief, Ryan Bergenty, approached Hocevar and launched a heated tirade.

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"A crew member from the 38 team confronted Hocevar after the race while I was interviewing him. Only quote I could make out from the conversation was “our car is fucking wrecked because you drive like a fu**ing r****d.”," Strumph wrote via X.
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Before the whole ordeal, Carson Hocevar had discussed his thoughts on the race.

"Yeah, I felt like our car was pretty good, you know, just kind of stretchy. I don’t know if anybody could have predicted how this race works, you know," he said via aforementioned source.

Zane Smith had already lost a combined 50 places over the three races leading into Iowa, and unfortunately for the #38 team, the slump will carry over into Watkins Glen.

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Carson Hocevar blames 'f**king idiots' for mid-race spin at Iowa

Carson Hocevar had qualified an impressive seventh for Sunday's race. However, a flurry of cautions disrupted the race proceedings, with one particular restart spelling disaster for Hocevar.

During the final lap of Stage 2, Hocevar fell victim to a stacked-up restart and spun out after making contact with John Hunter Nemechek. He finished the stage 29th and took to his team radio to voice his frustration (via X/The Racing Underdogs):

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"ugh, I just have f**king idiots around me...tired of this s*it," Carson Hocevar said.
Carson Hocevar's comments over team radio. Source: @X/Racingunderdogs
Carson Hocevar's comments over team radio. Source: @X/Racingunderdogs

Ironically, Hocevar has earned himself a new nickname that speaks to his aggressive on-track actions. NBC commentators called him 'The Hurricane,' and it seems like the title has stuck with fans.

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Hocevar previously drew the ire of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney for his shunts involving the two drivers. For the repeat offence, Stenhouse threatened the 22-year-old with physical violence.

Nonetheless, the Spire driver has shown promise in his sophomore season. With six top-10s and two runner-up finishes, Hocevar currently ranks 22nd with 443 points. The Iowa race also bumped him a spot on the drivers' standings.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar
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