Off-track conflicts and rivalries seem to be the theme of the Quaker State 400 weekend at EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, as Carson Hocevar launches a T-shirt trade-in campaign following comments by Zane Smith about him during media availability this weekend and on the NASCAR-associated podcast Racin’ with the Boys.
In response to Smith’s comments and a NASCAR hauler meeting, Hocevar decided to stir the pot, playing on the comments focused on him being disingenuous and unliked.
Before action on Sunday, Hocevar posted to socials, “Giving away free t-shirts to the first 77 people that bring a different active driver’s t-shirt to trade it for any shirt of ours. Starts at Noon at the Merch trailer.”
Fans took the bait, well, at least one, seen via EchoPark Speedway’s social media taking the shirt off his back for a fresh Spire No. 77 T-shirt.
Since Smith’s viral podcast, the Front Row Motorsports driver has been hearing from Hocevar’s online fan base, one of the things he poked fun at during his interview with Taylor Lewan.
“It’s kind of funny,” Smith told at-track media, including Fox Sports. “I mean, some of the comments and memes have been funny for sure. But yeah, I mean, they’re all proving me right.”
Among his complaints on the podcast, Smith noted that instead of just racing hard, Hocevar puts himself and his competitors into difficult spots.
“There’s a difference between certain guys who will race you hard,” Smith said. “He’ll just put us both in a bad spot to where it’s just costing us lap time. Neither of us are benefiting from it. And so that part gets frustrating, but I remember making a mistake, or I don’t know if he made a mistake, but he wrecked us.
To add insult to injury, following the Iowa incident the quote focuses on, Smith says that Hocevar would spend the rest of the race waving or trying to apologize before getting online and acting the opposite.
“Then he spends the rest of the race waving at me, playing nice guy of like, “Oh man, I’m so sorry, so sorry,” Smith said. “And then goes on social media and posts ‘Admit One: I don’t give a f*ck.’
“It’s like if you’re going to be the guy hiding behind social media, I don’t know, that’s a coward in my opinion. Act that way in person. Say that to my face. And it’s like, all right, I’m going to be the same way, but don’t be one way in person and then hide behind your phone.”
This, paired with their contact at Chicagoland that NASCAR deemed unintentional for penalty purposes, prompted a competition meeting in the NASCAR hauler.
Following a crash on lap 32 at Chicagoland Speedway, Smith and Hocevar were called to the NASCAR hauler ahead of the Atlanta race, as were Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill for repeated on-track transgressions.
Hocevar is unsure why NASCAR chose this race weekend to speak with Him and Smith, saying that, heading into the Atlanta weekend, intentional wrecking is furthest from his mind.
“I did tell the NASCAR guys in the hauler,” Hocevar told at-track media, including Fox Sports. “I was like, ‘Look, if you expected it to continue. I don’t know if I would’ve picked this week. We’re going to Atlanta. We’re going to Martinsville or something.’ I’d be like, ‘Yeah, it would make sense.’ But I was like, “I don’t wreck anybody here intentionally, Atlanta’s hard to do it.”
In their first race since their rivalry has ballooned, Hocevar will start 14th and Smith 34th tonight at EchoPark Speedway at 7 PM EST.
Victoria Beaver is a nomadic sports writer who spends her time hopping between race tracks and hippie farms. She’s covered every corner of motorsports that will let her in from 410 Sprints to NASCAR to Supercross. Her daily driver is a 2010 Subaru that she refused to do the smallest amount of preventative maintenance on. Instead, she spends her free time and money building a 42-foot Skoolie to one day travel the country full time.