Kevin Harvick Acquits Carson Hocevar of Wreaking Havoc While Warning Him of On-Track Aggression

Carson Hocevar’s notorious reputation appears to have finally caught up with him. The 21-year-old rookie took the lion’s share of blame for an incident at Brickyard 400 that forced Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson to retire early. Hocevar has been subjected to intense backlash in recent weeks after his aggressive driving style rubbed his colleagues the wrong way. Having been recently fined $50,000 and being docked 25 points for spinning Harrison Burton under caution hasn’t helped his reputation either.

However, Kevin Harvick has recently spoken in Hocevar’s defense during the Happy Hour podcast, siding with the Spire Motorsports driver for the incident that occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick defends Carson Hocevar’s Brickyard 400 dust-up

The controversial incident occurred in the Lap 109 caution off the restart when Carson Hocevar made contact with Ryan Blaney while going into Turn 1, which set off a chain reaction. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang went on to clip the right corner of Jimmie Johnson’s No. 84 Toyota, who in turn rammed into Joey Logano. As a result, both Logano and Johnson crashed into the outside wall, sustaining heavy damage which forced them to retire early. The incident sparked outrage among some drivers, who appeared to be fed up by Hocevar’s on-track antics.

However, Kevin Harvick came in to defend the Cup Series rookie, absolving him from blame during the Happy Hour podcast. The 48-year-old said, “The only thing I can say when you look right here, I don’t think Hocevar is doing anything wrong. He’s clearly in the middle of the racetrack and the 12 comes down on him, but with as many guys that are frustrated with Hocevar, at this point, it’ll always gonna be his fault.

“It seems like he’s in the middle of a lot of things. I think that just comes with time. Being able to have the understanding of when to stick your nose in there, when to not, try to take a position or when to hit a guy, or when to not hit a guy. Or when to spin a guy out under caution and when not to spin a guy under caution. But you hear so many guys talk about Hocevar and how frustrated they are with the way he races and the things that he does, it just seems like it’s all to be his fault at this particular point.”

Unfortunately for Carson Hocevar, he has become the victim of his reputation. Frustration towards the 21-year-old has been building since his Truck Series days when he was forced to wait out two laps for trying to hook Taylor Gray at Martinsville. He got into Championship contender Corey Heim at Phoenix Raceway and spun Ty Gibbs on the same track in 2023. With a history of incidents, Hocevar’s reputation has overshadowed his undeniable talent.

The only way Carson Hocevar gets out of this is by racing cleanly, which will eventually change how he’s perceived by his fellow racers. A jump from the Truck to the Cup Series is a big one, and at just 21 years old, Hocevar has the time to adapt, improve, and work on his weaknesses. With NASCAR entering a mini-break during the Olympics, drivers and fans will hope that Hocevar returns to Richmond Raceway after reflecting on his season so far, and that the rookie will race with an improved attitude going forward.

Harvick believes Hocevar’s rookie season could be character-building

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After the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Noah Gragson called out Carson Hocevar for his involvement in the multi-car collision on Lap 109. The rookie has received a lot of flak in the last few years, most of which has been justified. However, the Cup Series is a different level altogether, and Kevin Harvick believes that the many mistakes made by Carson Hocevar will prove to be beneficial in the long run.

Speaking about Hocevar’s season, Kevin Harvick said, “I just listen to all the guys, that just talk about Hocevar and make these comments towards the way he’s doing and the way he’s going about it. But I think a lot of that comes with your rookie year. When you’re the guy that stands on the gas and is worried about going fast, you’re going to have some of these moments. He’s definitely in the character-building year.”

With just four races remaining before the regular season ends, Carson Hocevar will look to finish strongly. As things stand, the Spire Motorsports driver is ranked 24th in the driver standings, with two top-ten results and 1 DNF. If Hocevar aims to change his reputation, his focus needs to be on racing cleanly and aiming to finish in the top 20 by the end of the season. He certainly has the talent to make it happen.

Do you think Carson Hocevar was at fault for the incident at Brickyard 400? Let us know in the comments!