Carson Hocevar admitted he is likely “getting wrecked” soon as he riles up the NASCAR grid.
Hocevar has been at the heart of drama in the 2026 NASCAR Chase, with his clash with Brad Keselowski at Darlington Raceway serving as a true inflexion point. On Lap 107, Hocevar made contact with Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford, sending the RFK Racing driver sideways.
Hocevar then made further contact with Keselowski, spinning him out and bringing out the caution. Naturally, the former Cup Series champion was furious while FOX Sports’ Kevin Harvick suggested Hocevar was displaying a lack of respect for Keselowski in the fallout.
Ahead of Sunday’s race at WWT Raceway, Keselowski seemed to indicate that retaliation could still be on the table. Hocevar seems to be ready for it, telling USA Sports: “I’m probably getting wrecked at some point. Whether it’s him (Brad Keselowski) or somebody else. Whether it’s today or next week, or a year from now, or multiple years from now.
“So my belts are gonna be tight, and we’re not gonna be a hypocrite about it. Our belts are gonna be tight, and we’ll just finish the day, we’ll see how much damage there is, and we’ll roll from there. But ultimately, we race for us, our team, and what’s best for us. We race for the fans. We’re not gonna listen.
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Hocevar and Keselowski avoided a clash in Chicago on Sunday (Image: GETTY)
“Ultimately, whatever happens, it’s not gonna change any of us, or how I think or how we race, and that’s why I think I’m looking forward to it, so if they’re trying to get a message, we’re just gonna keep doing us.”
Hocevar is certainly not apologizing for his actions toward Keselowski, but he did offer an apology to fans following the Enjoy Illinois 300. The 23-year-old took to social media to offer his condolences after he was not involved in any of the record 18 cautions.
“I just wanna apologize to all the NASCAR podcast listeners out there,” said Hocevar on Facebook. “Although there was a record-high number of cautions.
“The 77 didn’t cause any, so it’s gonna be a slow news week. Maybe pick up a hobby and resume your podcast listening after we try again at Bristol.”
Hocevar finished the race in P8 and moved up three spots in the Chase standings to ninth place. He is 88 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
The next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 19.