Carson Hocevar isn’t shying away from controversy. Despite scoring a career-best second-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 22-year-old irked several of his competitors after making aggressive moves at the 1.5-mile track. The Spire Motorsports driver was by far the most entertaining racer at the 2025 AmBetter Health 400, as he didn’t hesitate to throw his No. 77 Chevy in tight spaces and remained at the front of the pack for the majority of the 266-lap event.

Despite the runner-up finish, the sophomore didn’t impress his colleagues when the checkered flag was waved. Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in particular were infuriated at his driving style and didn’t hesitate to share their thoughts in the post-race interview.

Carson Hocevar sees room for improvement despite finishing second

Carson Hocevar drove like a man on a mission. Despite starting the race in 26th place, the Spire Motorsports driver was eager to make his mark at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and quickly climbed the grid as the race went on. The racer finished ninth at the end of the first stage, a fantastic turnaround in the opening 60 laps. He ended up climbing to seventh by the end of Stage 2, adopting a win-at-all-costs mindset that didn’t go down very well with his competitors. However, the 22-year-old was in no mood to be the ‘nice guy’, and lived up to his ‘aggressive driver’ reputation at the 1.5-mile oval.

Sharing his thoughts about the events that occurred in the post-race interview, Carson Hocevar said, “We’re here to win races. Not be a boy band who love each other and play in a playground together. Obviously, there’s learning lessons. You don’t want to p-– anybody off, frustrate anybody. There are things I would clean up for sure. But it’s going to come with learning that. I’m normally 40th, waiting for them to crash and hoping they crash. To be upfront, get stage points in both stages and have a shot to win is something I can hold my head high real much.”

While Carson Hocevar’s competitive spirit is admirable, is it wise for the sophomore to make enemies this early on in his NASCAR career? At the end of the first stage, Hocevar’s driving style forced Kyle Busch to lift to avoid being wrecked, a move that cost ‘Rowdy’ several spots. Naturally, it didn’t go down well with the two-time Cup Series champion, who went on to say on the team radio, “Go tell that 77 he’s done that same f—— move ten times. I don’t care if I wreck the whole f—— field, I’m over him. He’s a f—— d——-, I’m going to wreck his a–.”

He wasn’t the only one to feel this way. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney got turned by Hocevar while entering Turn 1 because of a bad bump, a move that sent the No. 12 Ford skidding across the apron. Unsurprisingly, the 31-year-old vented his frustrations on the team radio as well, telling his spotter Timmy Fedewa, “He’s just a moron! He just runs right into the back of you. He has zero idea of where to bump somebody, where not to.” Another incident with fellow Chevy driver and mentor figure Ross Chastain didn’t help Hocevar’s case, but despite the mounting anger, the 22-year-old carried on nonchalantly and finished second.

Trending

1

NASCAR Rumors: Chase Elliott’s Billion Dollar Sponsor to File Bankruptcy One Year After Ugly Exit

2

Ryan Blaney Snatches Up $70 Billion Sponsor as They Leave Struggling F1 Team in the Dumps

3

Richard Petty’s Iconic Manufacturer to Return as American Muscle ‘Dodges’ Japanese Giant Rumors, Claims Insider

4

NASCAR Confirms Status of 4th Manufacturer Deal Amidst Major Rumor Mill

5

Rick Hendrick Issued Immediate Apology After Carson Hocevar Terrorizes His Golden Goose

Hocevar apologizes to Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick

Accountability. That’s what Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Ross Chastain were looking for when the checkered flag was waved at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Words were exchanged with the 22-year-old after the race, but the animated discussions didn’t look too friendly. Towards the end of the race, Carson Hocevar opted to go for the win instead of helping fellow Chevrolet driver Kyle Larson, a decision that allowed Christopher Bell to take advantage of to claim the glory for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota.

Sharing his thoughts on the situation, Hocevar said, “First off, apologies to Larson and HMS, Mr. H [Rick Hendrick], everybody. They help us out a lot, and I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line. The last two nights were kind of that way. I hit the 20 [Bell] to get him out of the way and fill the middle. A little bit longer, maybe we win the race.”

Instead of assisting Larson, Hocevar opted to go three-wide into Turn 3 to get ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports driver and Christopher Bell, before the race-ending caution denied him a shot at victory. Had the youngster been more selfless, the No. 5 Chevy could have prevailed at the 1.54-mile oval thanks to the Spire Motorsports drivers’ help. At just 22 years old, the Michigan native still has a thing or two to learn about superspeedway racing. While inexperience can be a valid reason this time around, the rest of the grid is quickly losing patience with Carson Hocevar. Do you think retaliation is coming at COTA for Hocevar? Let us know in the comments below!