Bubba Wallace ran into Carson Hocevar, causing a 12-car pileup in the NASCAR Cup Series Cookout 400 at Martinsville on March 29.
On a restart on Lap 327 with 74 laps to go, Wallace rammed into Hocevar in Turn 4, spinning Hocevar out. The collision appeared to be intentional by Wallace, who was taken out of the race. But after being treated and released from the infield care center told FSI he did not mean to cause the crash.
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“I didn’t appreciate the three-wide into one, and then I misjudged the center of the corner and didn’t mean to turn him,” Wallace said.
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Cincinnati Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Cincinnati Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, and William Byron, driver of the #24 Cincinnati Chevrolet, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President speaks during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #7 Group 1001 Chevrolet, (C) speaks to Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Kroger/Thomas’ High Protein Ford, (L) during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Hardee’s Toyota, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 UniFirst Chevrolet, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DEWALT Toyota, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Kroger/Thomas’ High Protein Ford, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Chili’s Ride The ‘Dente Chevrolet, signs autographs for NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 Choice Privileges Chevrolet, greets NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Chili’s Ride The ‘Dente Chevrolet, signsgreets NASCAR fans during the drivers meeting prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: NASCAR Cup Series driver, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at the LEGO City NASCAR Kid Zone prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
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NASCAR Martinsville race best pictures from Cook Out 400
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 29: NASCAR Cup Series driver, Noah Gragson at the LEGO City NASCAR Kid Zone prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Hocevar stayed out and finished 17th after the restart.
Along with Hocevar and Wallace, the cars involved included Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Michael McDowell and Connor Zelisch.
The NASCAR Cup Series is off next week due to Easter weekend. The next race is April 12 at Bristol.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bubba Wallace crashes into Carson Hocevar causes pileup at Martinsville
