NASCAR

Why Is Everybody Mad At Carson Hocevar After NASCAR Cup Series Race At Atlanta Motor Speedway?

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By
Jared Turner
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Jared Turner Sports Editor

Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.

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Sports Editor

Published24 Feb 2025

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Carson Hocevar

Second-year full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar recorded the best finish of his young career on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

But for Hocevar, who came home second to Christopher Bell in a close three-way battle for the win also involving Kyle Larson, it wasn’t all rainbows and ice cream after the race.

Instead, Hocevar had to face an agitated Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney — who emerged from their vehicles and separately lectured him on pit road for what they deemed to be his overly aggressive driving.

But Chastain and Blaney weren’t the only ones less than pleased with at Hocevar after a predictably wild, 400-plus miles of close-quarters racing at the action-prone 1.54-mile track.

Kyle Busch Took Aim At The Timing Of Bold Atlanta Moves By Carson Hocevar

Even before joining NASCAR’s premier division full time last season, Hocevar had a reputation for recklessness — which he earned in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Sunday’s race in Atlanta, however, marked the first time Hocevar has managed to anger so many stars of the sport on the same day.

Not only did the Spire Motorsports driver ruffle the features of Blaney and Chastain, but two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch was likewise not all that happy with the 22-year-old.

“He just had a lot, a lot, a lot of close calls,” Busch told NBC Sports’ Dustin Long after finishing seventh. “He wasn’t even clear on me, I had to lift and he put me in the fence off of Turn 2 in the first stage. He’s just trying to plug holes and do it last-second and last-minute and creating logjams on back.

“Do it at the end. Do it in the last 30 laps, not in the first 230.”

Mum On Post-Race Convos, Carson Hocevar Left Atlanta With At Least One Regret

Hocevar refused to comment when asked post-race about his conversations with Chastain and Blaney. However, he apologized to third-place finishing Larson and Larson’s NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Rick Hendrick.

While Hocevar didn’t specify the reason for his apology, it would seem he felt bad about giving race winner Bell a last-lap shove in the draft when Bell and Larson were vying for the lead in the final moments. That push helped propel Bell to the win because the caution flag waved, freezing the field and ending the race a couple of seconds later — before the leaders could take the checkered flag.

“Apologies to Larson, HMS (Hendrick Motorsports), Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) and everybody,” Hocevar said. “They help us out a lot, and I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line. I hit the No. 20 (Bell) to get him out of the way.”

Despite wishing the final lap had played out differently, Hocevar couldn’t be but so disappointed with the outcome.

“I normally ride in the back and run last, so I was just trying to get a good, decent finish,” he said. “For how bad we were at Daytona, I was not riding. But yeah, there is some stuff I have to learn and clean up a little bit, but I feel like we put ourselves in the perfect opportunity to win the race. I have never had that opportunity really before, especially on a big superspeedway.

“So, just big thanks to Spire Motorsports. They deserve all the praise. I just get to hold the wheel, run wide open and try to put myself in a decent spot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best spot but was just one spot short.”