The Biggest NASCAR Penalties of 2026 and How They Shaped the Chase

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The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season ended with Kyle Larson as champion, but penalties and officiating decisions played a big part in how the Chase unfolded. Here are the biggest NASCAR penalties of 2026, and a few calls that drew criticism for what NASCAR didn’t do.

Martinsville: Hocevar and Berry Brake-Check Penalties

The biggest penalties of the year came after the penultimate Chase race at Martinsville, where NASCAR used SMT data to penalize two drivers for brake-checking.

• Carson Hocevar: Fined $100,000 and docked 25 points for repeatedly brake-checking Austin Cindric, which wrecked Cindric’s car. Spire Motorsports also suspended Hocevar for the Homestead finale. Hocevar finished 14th in the final standings.
• Josh Berry: Fined $50,000 and docked 25 points after slowing in front of Ryan Blaney, who finished 35th. Berry later admitted he meant to send Blaney a message.

Read more on NASCAR’s Martinsville penalties.

Bristol: No Penalty for Blaney-Hocevar Fight

After late contact at the Bristol Night Race in September, Blaney and Hocevar got into a physical confrontation on pit road. NASCAR chose not to penalize either driver, saying drivers should be allowed to settle emotional disputes outside their cars. The decision drew questions about consistency.

Phoenix: Zane Smith Fined for Cooldown-Lap Hit

Zane Smith was fined $50,000 for ramming Hocevar on the cooldown lap at Phoenix. NASCAR did not take any points from him.

Texas: Preece Penalized

Ryan Preece was fined $50,000 and docked 25 points for intentionally making contact with Ty Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway in May. Preece went on to make the Chase after winning at Daytona in August.

Technical Penalties

• Ross Chastain, North Wilkesboro: The No. 1 team failed pre-race inspection three times in July. NASCAR ejected the car chief, took away the team’s pit stall selection and gave Chastain a pass-through penalty at the start.
• Brandon Jones, O’Reilly Series at Las Vegas: Jones was disqualified after post-race inspection found unsafe lug nuts.

Why It Matters for 2027

The penalties, and the cases where NASCAR didn’t penalize, fueled a season-long debate about how the sport decides between fines, points penalties or no action. Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said benching Hocevar was the toughest decision he has made as an owner.