Daniel Suárez spins out future teammate Carson Hocevar for second time at Martinsville

Next season, Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suárez will be teammates at Spire Motorsports. But for now, they’re adversaries.

During Stage 2 of Sunday’s Round of 8 playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, Hocevar got spun out by Suárez. Fast forward to Stage 3 and Suárez did it again. This time, however, Hocevar took ownership.

He told his No. 77 team that he accidentally hit the switch and shut the car off on the frontstretch: “I had so much sh*t going on that I hit the switch,” Hocevar said, via Dalton Hopkins of Frontstretch.

Carson Hocevar airs out frustration with future teammate Daniel Suárez at Martinsville

Hocevar did not think highly of Suárez after the first incident. A caution came out as Hocevar found himself getting spun out on Lap 216. It was not what Hocevar was hoping for in a race where he was simply trying to keep up pace on the lead lap.

Hocevar keyed up on his radio and gave a simple but effective message, “F*ck him.” That’s about the easiest to understand message you will hear on a NASCAR radio.

That’s a product of good, short track racing where tempers often flare. The dynamic here is interesting because again, these two are teammates to be. Suárez will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2026, replacing Justin Haley. Spire made the announcement this past Wednesday.

“Spire’s growth over the last few years is quite impressive,” Suárez said in a statement. “That’s something I have mentioned to every single member who I have talked to at Spire Motorsports. I’m sure I’m not the only person who can see that and I’m excited to be part of it now. I know that even with the growth Spire has had the last few years, it hasn’t reached its full potential, just yet.

“There is a lot more out there to achieve, and I want to be part of that. I want to be part of that growth and use my experience to help my team, and the entire company continue to grow.”