Blaney, Hocevar React to Wild Fight on Video After Crash at Bristol During NASCAR Chase

Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney both offered their sides after their confrontation Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Hocevar threw a pair of punches at Blaney before the pair were separated. Blaney managed to break free and got off a strike of his own.

"There wasn't a whole lot of talking," Hocevar said, per the Associated Press. "He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn't going to take it. I got ran into a lot for the win. That was for second, and he wants to come fight. They got an old-school Bristol show here."

Blaney clearly took exception to contact from Hocevar late in the race. He had to settle for a 33rd-place finish despite leading 202 laps and winning Stage 2. The result knocked him down to sixth in the overall standings.

In an interview immediately after heading back to the garage, Blaney didn't blame Hocevar outright, but his frustration was evident:

This may have been an accumulation of things, too, because Hocevar's driving style has earned him few friends on the circuit.

"I haven't had a problem with him for probably a year and a half, but it's getting old," Blaney told reporters.

Hocevar, for his part, didn't think he was at fault for the pivotal crash.

"I don't know what I did wrong there," he said. "I crossed him over and looked like he spun himself, and then he wants to instigate a fight. I was going to finish that, and it seemed like the crowd was pretty pumped up, so I was going to play the audience for a second."

The stakes are high enough for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway next week. Blaney and Hocever's fight will provide another subplot.