​KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Carson Hocevar makes a pit stop in his hometown during the NASCAR playoffs to attend the 44th annual Drive for Life Foundation Gala.The Drive for Life Gala debuted in 1982, raising over $8M since its inception. The event raises money for local charities including Make-a-Wish Foundation and the American Heart Association.This year, the foundation invited MSU football coach Pat Fitzgerald to be the event’s guest speaker. Also in attendance was NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar during the midst of NASCAR playoffs, nearly one week following his brawl with fellow driver, Ryan Blaney.
Joey Logano wins NASCAR race at Bristol as Carson Hocevar, Ryan Blaney fight afterward Hocevar, 23, stopped his car after finishing third in the Cup Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway and was greeted with a shove from Blaney. He responded with two overhand rights, knocking off Blaney’s hat and making contact with Blaney’s left cheek. Blaney fell to the pavement and was held back by crew members who separated the two.“You see passion from both sides, I was able to defend myself,” Hocevar told News 8.While they haven’t spoken since, Hocevar says that there is no bad blood between the two racers.“Once everything calms down, racers tend to laugh about it after,” he said. “A lot of times passion takes over for racers.”Hocevar tells News 8 that it was a race to remember. “Memories are going to outlast anybody, so these are fun moments for me, ones that will well outlive my racing career,” he said. “All my friends said they’ve never heard a racetrack be that loud.”
Michigan native Carson Hocevar set for NASCAR playoffs Hocevar is ranked 8th, with the next playoff game scheduled for this Saturday.“I get to drive a racecar for a living and I get to do it on a tv screen that i grew up watching, it’s a lifelong dream and a lot of my heroes were in those kinds of scuffles,” he said.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.