Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign, Carson Hocevar is back into mid-season form early in the 2025 season. Yes, he did finish second at Atlanta where he potentially made the winning move if the field did not wreck behind him. Plus, Hocevar looked impressive in his The Clash performance. However, that is not the form being discussed today. Instead, his mid-season form is retaining his title as “most hated driver” in the Cup Series. Throughout the radios on Sunday, Hocevar’s name was a popular one for criticism and ire. Kyle Busch threatened to wreck him, Ryan Blaney called him a moron, and Ross Chastain quickly led the line to talk to the young driver after the race. And Hocevar’s response to this? Essentially, a shoulder shrug. While some may argue Carson Hocevar needs to be reined in, that should not happen. Leave Carson Hocevar alone.
Since his days in the Craftsman Truck Series, Carson Hocevar has built an unfavorable reputation among his peers. His aggressive style tends to ruffle the feathers of his competition. That aggression mixed with an unapologetic attitude will lead to plenty of criticism from the drivers, but it has been a successful approach. Heading into his second Cup season, the 22 year old has established himself as one of the top young drivers in the sport. While his present is Spire Motorsports, his future might be destined for a top team soon. From a nobody wearing funny hats with Niece Motorsports to the fastest rising star, Hocevar has harnessed a certain driving style that has brought him success, similar to his mentor Ross Chastain. Maybe Hocevar can learn from where Chastain has seemingly stumbled though.
Chevy/Hendrick Interfere with Ross Chastain
What is currently being said about Carson Hocevar is an echo from the criticisms that Ross Chastain received in 2022/2023. Chastain, who joined Trackhouse Racing in 2022, quickly rose to stardom with early wins in 2022. Via an aggressive style, Chastain won races, led laps, and made enemies. Entering throwback weekend at Darlington in 2023, the Melon Man seemed on the path to be NASCAR’s next top star. Then late in that race, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain tangled after a race full of Chastain complaints from the field. After the race (which was still won by a Hendrick Motorsports driver), Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon called Chastain out for his driving style.
After that race, apparently Hendrick and Chevy reached out to Trackhouse, Justin Marks, and Ross Chastain to discuss their qualms. Marks even made public criticisms about Chastain’s driving, which were not too far removed from the Trackhouse owner defending his driver. Since that race, Chastain has not been the same driver. While you cannot definitively say this series of conversations is to blame, it is one hell of a coincidence. Yes, Trackhouse as a whole has been a tick off their initial speed. However, Chastain looks to have a different style on track. Outside a few key moments, Chastain’s aggressiveness has been tamed.
This should not happen with Carson Hocevar. Allow the young man to grow and learn on his own rather than allowing outside interference. Taming Ross Chastain seemingly hurt his results, which saw him eliminated early from the 2023 playoffs and missing them completely last year. Hocevar has not found the success of Chastain yet, but his aggressiveness will likely be what leads him to his first win. Watering it down for the benefit of Chevy (or the field) will not be beneficial.
Tame Drivers, Questionable Results
Carson Hocevar could be on path to win at least one race this season. The ending of his 2024 saw more promising results, including a third at Watkins Glen and running inside the Top-5 at Homestead. At Atlanta, Hocevar’s maneuvers put himself in position to win. Was it chaotic? Absolutely. Drivers being upset about Hocevar’s actions is understandable. Hard to bank on a guy who seemingly does things on a whim. Despite that (and the Ryan Blaney save), Hocevar never did anything too egregious. So why tamp that aggression down?
As mentioned with Ross Chastain, toning down a driver’s aggression might be beneficial for the field, but could cost said driver wins and top results. Outside of Chastain, there is another glaring indictment of this in today’s Cup field: Ty Gibbs. Cast your mind back to the Ty Gibbs of his Xfinity days. Winning constantly while moving anyone and everyone out of the way, even his teammates. When he was called up to Joe Gibbs Racing Cup, everyone wondered whether his attitude would get him in trouble. So far, he has calmed, outside a few moments. On the bright side, Gibbs has been headline free with no major driver quarrels. However, those lack of headlines include in performance.
To call Ty Gibbs a disappointment thus far might be an exaggeration. However, he certainly has not exceeded expectations. Other than the start of last year, Gibbs has been a middle-pack driver. Certainly shy of what one would expect from a JGR driver. Once again, it is not certain his renewed attitude is the primary reason for his lack of results. But, Gibbs has struggled to win in his spot Xfinity starts as well. Certainly feels that the two are related.
Carson Hocevar Could be Good for NASCAR
With the outrage from the drivers, there is a significant chunk of the fanbase who is joining on the Carson Hocevar hate. To be fair, if your favorite driver has ill feelings toward the man, you would likely follow suit. However, that is not a bad thing for NASCAR. NASCAR needs personalities in the field that can draw a reaction. Currently, 3/4 of the field barely receive much of a response from the fans. For those that do, most are the elder statesmen of the sport rather than the younger generation.
If Hocevar keeps up his current antics, then he could easily become a character in the sport that cause fan reactions. At worst, he will be the hated youngling who wrecks your favorite driver. The boos would rain down on him during every driver intro and his indifference would only fuel that fire. On the flipside, Hocevar could find himself as the next Ross Chastain. Someone who has a growing fanbase despite the vitriol from those who hate him.
NASCAR needs more unique personalities throughout the field. There has been plenty of debate between NASCAR being legitimate sporting vs entertainment. Where NASCAR has attempted to inject entertainment to their sport has been misguided. No matter the gimmick they attempt, it cannot be compete with compelling personalities behind the wheel. That would help fill the entertainment quota needed for any professional sport. Especially with the casual audience, fans tend to be drawn in by personalities. If Hocevar is left alone, he can grow into that role as he learns.
Will Change Happen?
During Media Day at Daytona, Carson Hocevar’s time with The Teardown podcast certainly illuminated reasons as to why Hocevar drives the way he does. Essentially, Hocevar zones out during the race and allows what is natural to take over. The same way you might fall into the mundane glaze of your daily commute, Hocevar does during a race. Plus, he stated that he did not enjoy being given data ahead of getting behind the wheel. He feels it bogs him down and/or he simply does not use it because he will forget by the time he straps in for a race.
If that is the case, then only a major shift in his driving approach would cause change. Even if Chevy, Rick Hendrick, Spire Motorsports, or another driver attempted to intervene, the message might not hit home. For those who want to see a different Hocevar, that is a scary thought. What Hocever is currently doing behind the wheel will seemingly continue for the time being. Could that spell success for Hocevar? Based on Atlanta, yes. His aggressive moves were the key to his success. Sure, he had a line of drivers waiting to express their frustration. But he still finished second.
Manufacturer Grievance
The only concerning element from Atlanta was Hocevar’s apology to Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick. In his attempt to make the move for the win, Hocevar pushed Christophe Bell ahead of Larson. With the yellow coming out in Turn 3, Bell clearly had the edge. Now, this issue has been a constant one with how the manufacturers align. Parker Retzlaff got severe heat from Chevy for pushing Harrison Burton at Daytona despite it being Retzlaff’s best chance at the win. The Martinsville fiasco from last year still looms large as well.
Why should Carson Hocevar apologize for making a potential race winning move? If he pushes Larson instead, he likely either wrecks the 5 (which also would be frowned upon) or crushes his chance at the win. Larson will surely win at another track. As for Hocevar? Not so certain. Hocevar should be doing everything he can for him and his team to win, no matter the potential yellow that could drop at the wrong time.
If there was any indication that Carson Hocevar could be reined in, that apology certainly felt like it. Based on that short response, it felt that a potential phone call could be had between Hendrick and Spire. Maybe that was Hocevar getting out in front of it. However, it certainly did not feel natural for the same guy who shrugged off the litany of frustrated drivers from that same race. Here is to hoping that Chevy, Hendrick, and anyone else will allow Hocevar to be himself on the track.
