Dale Earnhardt Jr. Says NASCAR Is ‘Over the Moon’ After Ryan Blaney-Carson Hocevar Fight

For a few chaotic minutes at Bristol Motor Speedway, nobody was talking about points, setups or even who had won the race.

Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar made sure of that.

What started with contact on the racetrack ended with punches on pit road, crew members rushing into the middle of the confrontation and one of the most talked-about NASCAR moments of the season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes NASCAR couldn’t have asked for much more.

Speaking on the latest episode of “The Dale Jr. Download,” Earnhardt offered his take on the Blaney-Hocevar fight and NASCAR’s decision not to punish either driver. His biggest takeaway wasn’t that the confrontation crossed a line.

It was just how unexpectedly the whole thing unfolded.

“Blaney went over there to argue with him and I think we were all surprised that Hocevar threw his punch,” Earnhardt said. “The whole thing, the whole fight thing went way different than I would’ve expected and NASCAR is probably over the moon with all of that.”

For a sport built around personalities, rivalries and drivers willing to settle disagreements face-to-face, it’s not difficult to understand why.

But Earnhardt also made an important distinction about what happens next.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. explains why NASCAR’s Bristol decision isn’t a new rule

The Blaney-Hocevar confrontation came after an incident with 43 laps remaining in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.

Hocevar and Blaney were racing for second when contact sent Blaney into the wall and ended his night. Blaney finished 33rd after spending much of the race near the front, while Hocevar continued and eventually finished third.

The disagreement didn’t end when the cars stopped.

Blaney approached Hocevar on pit road after the race, and the confrontation quickly became physical. Both drivers threw punches before the two were separated.

NASCAR ultimately decided not to penalize either driver. No crew members involved in the altercation were penalized, either.

Earnhardt had no problem with that call.

“I didn’t have a problem with anything that went down,” Earnhardt said. “It is absolutely a case by case scenario.”

That last part matters.

Bristol wasn’t NASCAR announcing that anything goes once drivers climb out of their cars. Earnhardt cautioned that another incident could produce an entirely different response, even if it doesn’t look as dramatic on the surface.

“I don’t know if people can really understand what that means but you might not fine guys for what happened this weekend and turn around the next week and fine somebody for something even less egregious the following weekend,” he said.

In other words, there isn’t necessarily a bright line NASCAR can draw around every post-race confrontation.

Context matters.

Earnhardt draws the line at ‘blindside punches’

Earnhardt has experience looking at these situations from more than one perspective. Beyond his Hall of Fame Cup career, he’s a team owner and co-owner of the CARS Tour.

And while he didn’t believe Bristol warranted punishment, that doesn’t mean he thinks every fight should receive the same treatment.

“Blindside punches, crew members throwing fists, things that feel unethical — when it feels bad, it typically is something you want to look into,” Earnhardt said. “Does it deserve a fine? Does it deserve some sort of punishment? In this instance, I think both parties would agree that none were necessary.”

That’s probably the most useful way to look at NASCAR’s decision.

Blaney was furious. Hocevar wasn’t backing down. Tempers boiled over in public after a late-race incident with major championship implications.

Then NASCAR reviewed what happened and decided to leave it there.

The sanctioning body got a viral moment. The drivers got to settle their disagreement themselves. And neither will head to Kansas with a penalty attached to it.

Earnhardt may have summed up NASCAR’s feelings about the entire thing best.

“Over the moon.”

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