In NASCAR, racing well is great, but racing wild—not so much! But seems like Carson Hocevar seems to have aced in racing the way he shouldn’t. And dare we say, his actions are garnering a reputation for him that he doesn’t want. So much so that Denny Hamlin himself had to bring his antics under NASCAR’s eye!
But his rough driving antics are not new and have been going on for a while now, but at Nashville, he crossed all boundaries by intentionally spinning Burton under caution. Moreover, he did not only make Burton an enemy out of it but also Todd Gilliland!
Carson Hocevar is on the list of drivers people don’t like racing!
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Right now, Carson Hocevar is not exactly the most popular guy in the Cup Series. And he might even have quite a few enemies after his stunt at the Ally 400. In fact, Todd Gilliland had actually declared his hatred for the Hocevar on track and even the onboard camera caught him saying this—“I hate this kid, honestly, I hate him.”
And as for Burton, he said this, “I’m f***ing over. I’m done with it. He just wrecked me under caution because I blocked him on the backstretch. He can kiss my ass.” And well anyone would be frustrated if one person time and again creates havoc on track. In fact, Hamlin had urged the officials to “do something” on his Action Detrimental podcast, and well what can be said other than that actions indeed are detrimental and NASCAR handed Hocevar a hefty fine of $50,000 and a penalty! He was already in 22nd place and now with the penalty he is standing at 24th 181 points below the playoff points.
Todd Gilliland & Carson Hocevar during the 2024 Ally 400 @ Nashville, this happened during the caution before Hocevar dumped Burton. pic.twitter.com/hp9fDNSFV4
— Andrew (@Basso488) July 2, 2024
And well this isn’t the first time that Hocevar has roughed others up brutally. When he was in the truck series, he did have quite a reputation for right-rearing to spinning out and more. But NASCAR didn’t give it much heed until now. Burton highlighted after the race that he doesn’t know why Hocevar blocks everyone every week. He also mentioned that “He’s on a lot of people’s lists as guys they don’t like racing. So, it kind of shows you why.”
As for Gilliland, he might have started a straight-out battle because he just liked the Instagram post of NASCAR announcing Hocevar’s fine—pretty damning! And rightly so because the bold move by Hocevar threw the field into chaos, with Todd Gilliland and Austin Cindric having to make quick evasive maneuvers to avoid a massive wreck. Fans are rallying behind Gilliland, showing firm support for his stance. The drama is so hot that it’s sparking discussions on forums like Reddit, where many are backing the straightforward stance and enjoying the heated exchanges!
NASCAR fans bash Carson Hocevar saying he has a “ten-cent brain”
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Carson Hocevar does have a history of being violent on track. Just last year, he made contact with Corey Heim and sent him spinning. And even though he was at fault, it was Heim who faced the penalty. This was because Heim retaliated later but well the cause remained wrapped. One fan said, “He cost him a couple of wins in Trucks and possibly a title due to his temper tantrums, I don’t blame him. Hocevar has a million-dollar talent but equipped with a ten-cent brain.”
This case is eerily similar to what happened with Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Kyle Busch. And maybe Hocevar inspiration may be Rowdy aka Kyle Busch. One fan highlighted that and said, “Let’s not forget that Kyle Busch is the only former WWE Champion in NASCAR history” Well, having a reputation where no one wants to race you, is indeed not a great one to have. For Busch at least he had his vivid career to back it up, Hocevar is meanwhile just starting!
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One might argue that Hocevar just maybe has that fire in him given he is young and wants to prove that he’s the best and can race with the experts. One fan highlighted that and said, “Carson Hocevar races like he’s 21. Which he is, extremely immature.” Well, he is indeed young, but he has had multiple warnings and maybe this is a lesson moving forward for him.
Esteep, a content creator, mentioned in his channel that this penalty and the amount that Hocevar got is a huge one for a driver. According to him, it’s a lot for someone who is 21 and a rookie to give up. He isn’t the only one asking that one fan said, “Does this kid even make this much”? Well, he does have new sponsorship but of course, given he has new sponsors, this will put everyone in a spot.
One would think for a young rookie who is only just starting, having a more relaxed stance to learn is what Hocevar’s would be but not really. And while his off-the-track behavior is extremely civil, the same cannot be said about his on-track behavior. One fan said, “He’s one of those drivers where the off-track personality doesn’t match the on-track personality at all.”
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Now he isn’t the first driver to show such differences on and off track. Even Logano, who was the race winner, is all smiles off-track, but on track, he is a beast behind those wheels. But even he wouldn’t breach a conduct to get the result. Fans mostly didn’t appreciate Hocevar’s racing and said, “Carson shows a two-faced personality when racing. I am not surprised of the penalty and glad they did something.”
Well, coming under the radar of veteran drivers like Hamlin, who is also a team owner making anemones with half of the paddock doesn’t seem like the best way to start the cup career! What do you think? Let us know!
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