{"id":520754,"date":"2026-03-07T16:38:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/520754\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T16:38:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T16:38:08","slug":"dale-earnhardt-jr-responds-to-theory-suggesting-iracing-gives-carson-hocevar-bad-nascar-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/520754\/","title":{"rendered":"Dale Earnhardt Jr. responds to theory suggesting iRacing gives Carson Hocevar bad NASCAR habits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carson Hocevar\u2019s<\/a> aggressive driving style has become one of the most talked-about storylines this NASCAR<\/a> season. Some fans and analysts have even wondered whether Hocevar\u2019s background in sim racing could be contributing to some of the quick-trigger reactions he shows on track.<\/p>\n

However, Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/a> isn\u2019t buying the idea that iRacing is creating bad habits. Speaking on the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download<\/a>, Earnhardt Jr. responded<\/a> to a theory from his co-host suggesting that Hocevar\u2019s tendency to immediately respond to on-track contact might stem from racing online, where drivers often retaliate instantly without real consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy argument to that is, I would absolutely encourage people to run online to get race-craft and decision-making and judgment calls,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The NASCAR Hall of Famer pointed to specific types of tracks where sim racing can be particularly valuable for young drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecifically, especially for superspeedway racing like Daytona and Talladega and road courses,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely valuable as a tool to run road courses on iRacing at home when you can\u2019t be in the sim.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Earnhardt Jr., the mental approach required at those tracks closely mirrors what drivers experience in real-life races.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mentality is successful,\u201d Earnhardt added. \u201cThe racing at Daytona, racing at Atlanta, racing at Talladega is a frame of mind. It is a skill, but it\u2019s a mental approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moreover, he explained that at superspeedways, drivers rely more on decision-making and awareness than the traditional \u201cseat-of-the-pants\u201d feel of the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re making decisions. Everything you\u2019re doing, you\u2019re doing with your mind, not the seat of the pants,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. elaborated.<\/p>\n

To illustrate his point, Earnhardt Jr. referenced several drivers who have strong backgrounds in sim racing. They have also seen it translate effectively to the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnthony Alfredo<\/a>, he\u2019s a pure sim racer,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. pointed out. \u201cAnd I know how he races online. I\u2019ve been in races with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earnhardt noted that Alfredo\u2019s aggressive drafting style often mirrors the approach he takes in iRacing events.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will find his way toward the front with moves and being aggressive at Daytona and Talladega,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Continuing, Earnhardt Jr. added that Rajah Caruth<\/a> has shown a similar crossover between his sim racing mentality and his real-world racing decisions. Still, Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged that Hocevar\u2019s reactive nature might not be coming from racing simulators alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the online racing world, there\u2019s no real repercussions to being reactive,\u201d the NASCAR Hall of Famer said. \u201cBut everything about our world right now is that instant reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to social media and modern communication as examples of how people are conditioned to respond immediately without pausing to think. Still, even Earnhardt Jr. admits he has to catch himself sometimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 51 years old and I have to sometimes tell myself, calm the hell down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As for Hocevar, Earnhardt Jr. made one thing clear. He hopes the young driver doesn\u2019t lose the edge that makes him so compelling to watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want him to change,\u201d Earnhardt Jr. said. \u201cI don\u2019t want Hocevar to change.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Carson Hocevar\u2019s aggressive driving style has become one of the most talked-about storylines this NASCAR season. Some fans…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":520755,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-520754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/520755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=520754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=520754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}