Carson Hocevar has been involved in a number of controversies this season, with the 19-year-old seemingly struggling to keep his emotions in check on the track
Carson Hocevar has gotten on the wrong side of numerous drivers in the Cup Series(Image: Getty)
Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR journey has been riddled with disputes, as the gifted young driver frequently finds himself at odds with his competitors.
In just this season, his second in the driver’s seat of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Hocevar has been labeled a “moron” by Ryan Blaney, called NASCAR’s “biggest dumb-” by Austin Dillon, threatened by both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Zane Smith, and incurred the ire of Rick Hendrick after a collision with Chase Elliott.
Hocevar did nothing to improve his reputation in his latest race, causing Kyle Busch’s race to end prematurely with a first-lap crash, and later knocking out Austin Cindric, who was battling to stay in the Playoffs, effectively ending his race too.
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The sight of Hocevar seemingly squandering his talent seems to be frustrating both Rick Ware Racing competition director Tommy Baldwin Jr. and 23XI Racing crew chief Freddie Kraft, who both expressed their disappointment on the recent ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ podcast.
A vexed Baldwin praised Hocevar’s skill, pointing out that he is “capable of running in the top 10 every week,” and suggested that his frustration stems from a belief that no one is assisting the young driver.
“I got grabbed in the back of the neck by Dale Earnhardt once. That’s what he needs,” Baldwin suggested. “He needs a little chat by somebody that he respects. But I don’t know if he respects anybody.”
One potential candidate to fill this role could be none other than the son of the seven-time Cup Series champion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kraft recalled a pointed remark that Earnhardt Jr. made to Hocevar a few years ago that seemed to have left an impression.
Kraft remembered how Hocevar mentioned that while he was still in the Truck Series and transitioning into the Xfinity Series, he crossed paths with Dale Jr. “He said the first thing Dale said to him is, ‘You’re not coming over here to crash all my s- are you?’
Tommy Baldwin Jr. believes Hocevar could benefit from a talking to from Dale Earnhardt(Image: Getty)
“And he said that hit home for him, like the guy that I look up to thinks that I’m an idiot basically.”
Kraft emphasized that he believed this comment “hit home” for Hocevar and even “changed him a little bit.”
However, it hasn’t been enough in the long run.
“You still see these moments where he just kind of unleashes and it’s not even malicious,” Kraft continued, later adding, “We give this kid a lot of s- here but it’s only because he could be great and you just want him to you want to just shake him.”
So far this season, Hocevar’s results have been one extreme or another, finishing second at Atlanta and Nashville, along with a further six top 10s, while also failing to crack the top 30 on 11 occasions.
Now, he has just four more races to ease the pressure on him heading into the offseason, starting with Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Carson Hocevar has gotten on the wrong side of numerous drivers in the Cup Series(Image: Getty)