“He’s Driving Like an Idiot” – Denny Hamlin Ruthlessly Trashes Carson Hocevar’s Cup Series Antics, Echoes Dale Jr’s Payback Warning

While his championship chase got to a devastating end in Martinsville as the penultimate playoff race ended in disappointment for Denny Hamlin, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is still NASCAR’s outspoken veteran. The 42-year-old, unlike any other driver in the current roster, has a knack for speaking out the truth, calling a spade a spade, whether it be against or for a fellow driver.

And he did just that when he unapologetically bashed Jimmie Johnson‘s driver, Carson Hocevar, following his run-in with his JGR teammate. Let’s just say, Sunday’s dramatic 500-lap event had all the thrills and frills for a dramatic race. In fact, there were a couple of infamous stints that prompted NASCAR veteran & NBC commentator Dale Earnhardt Jr to chime in.

Reflecting on Hocevar’s run-in with his teammate, Hamlin did not mince his words as he relayed Dale Jr’s warning to the Truck Series sensation with a couple of his own chides.

Veteran Denny Hamlin gives the 20-year-old an earful

For Hamlin, this past weekend wasn’t what he hoped it would be, and so was the case for his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs, as well. Despite starting out strong, running on the frontline, the Cup Series rookie got his day literally turnaround not once but twice. While it was the reigning champion, Joey Logano who bumped the #54 Toyota from the rear for a spin, Gibbs’ was spun again minutes after the contact from the #22.

Joe Gibbs’ grandson was running 3rd when the Team Penske driver knocked him into a spin during the 273rd lap of the race, initiating a multi-car pile-up that collected 7 cars including Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, and Michael McDowell. The 21-year-old was then again sent for a spin when Carson Hocevar repeated the same in the 303rd lap of the race off of turn 2.

Monitoring the action from the commentary booth, Dale Jr was quick to remind the Hocevar that such actions are bound to serious repercussions, especially when one’s racing at NASCAR’s top-tier division. Relaying the obvious in his podcast, Hamlin also expressed his displeasure, seeing Hocevar rubbing off people even before his full-time Cup Series career in 2024.

He said, “Damn it, Carson Hocevar, he’s losing his mind again. I know, I just said last week, I was singing praises about what he was doing in the Truck Series but I now see consecutive weeks in Cup where he’s driving like an idiot. So it’s because I come up to lap him and he’s running into people, he’s pinching people down, I don’t know what he’s doing, he has got his ride for next year, what is he… your just pissing people off for no reason, for what?”

He angrily added, “I mean he wrecked Ty Gibbs, Ty is on the lead lap, he’s two laps down. What are you doing?”

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Hamlin ups the ante as he relays Dale Earnhardt Jr’s stern warning

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Creating unnecessary ruckus is something no driver wants, especially when you’re an aspiring driver like Carson Hocevar. However, days after earning praise from Hamlin, the Truck Series sensation has got himself an earful from the veteran after his Martinsville stunt with Joe Gibbs’ grandson.

Speaking to his co-host about the same, Hamlin said, “There’s something in the brain that cuts off the circulation when he puts the helmet on. It’s frustrating because you see these younger guys with talent and they can do it and they can be at a very high level, but he just doesn’t get it and Carson is a head-scratcher for me.”

Hamlin, being Hamlin, then went on to ruthlessly thrash the youngster, mentioning the JRM co-owner’s warning. He said, “I appreciate Dale Jr on the broadcast for calling him out again, saying, you do this in the Cup Series, go ahead, it is a bad choice and I don’t care what Ty did to him, I didn’t see Ty doing anything to him, we didn’t see it on TV, we don’t know, there might’ve been something, Ty might’ve knocked him up the racetrack because he’s on the fu**ing lead lap, you’re 2 laps down, get out of the way.”

“There’s got to be some maturity going on there that he has got to work out because it’s frustrating to watch. If it was someone who really s**ked, you really wouldn’t care.” 

READ MORE: “These Are Beefs”- Denny Hamlin Acquits Joey Logano of Foul Play as He Unravels Ongoing Ty Gibbs’ Feud

Though Gibbs managed to finish inside the top 20, the #42 driver’s actions are reprehensible and he needs to mature up if he intends to be in such a competitive field.