For months, Carson Hocevar has drawn comparisons to Dale Earnhardt Sr., with even Dale Earnhardt Jr. noting similarities to the Intimidator’s persona. But former teammate Zane Smith, who shared a shop with him last year, recently made his views clear, calling Hocevar nothing more than an “idiot.” Despite the sting of those words, Hocevar appears intent on repairing the fractured relationship.
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At Watkins Glen, with five laps remaining, when Smith reached Hocevar’s back bumper, the Spire Motorsports driver moved over on the exit of Turn 5 to give him the spot.
After the race, Hocevar leaned into Smith’s window and told him, “Hey, I know that doesn’t make up for it, but you can expect that in the next couple weeks, okay?”
As Steven noted in a previous tweet with video/audio, Hocevar told Smith: “Hey, I know that doesn’t make up for it, but you can expect that in the next couple weeks, okay?”
The context appears to be here where the No. 77 of Hocevar allows the No. 38 of Smith by without a fight. https://t.co/AIlNhv6N6E
— Zach Sturniolo (@zachstur) August 10, 2025
In the four weeks leading up to Watkins Glen, Smith had been caught in wrecks he didn’t cause or was responsible for. And while he kept quiet initially, his breaking point came at Iowa Speedway, when Hocevar lost control entering Turn 1 to Smith’s left, drifted up the banking, and slammed into the No. 38 driver’s left-rear quarter panel.
Smith spun and backed hard into the SAFER barrier, then seemed to retaliate with a swipe at Hocevar’s car. Afterward, Smith’s crew chief, Ryan Bergenty, confronted Hocevar to voice his anger. By the next weekend, Smith wasn’t mincing words in the Watkins Glen garage.
“I personally can’t go have a conversation with him without getting a $75,000 fine. Yeah, he’s just a dumb [expletive]. That’s just how it is. I think that the media feeds into him trying to play this like ‘Intimidator’ role.”
“But then he’ll act like he’s your buddy, and then just be an idiot on social media. I was teammates with him, and everyone at that race shop, everyone in this garage, realizes he’s an idiot,” he added.
Many in the media believe the gesture at The Glen was Hocevar’s first small step toward making amends for Iowa. Known for his unapologetic on-track style, Hocevar’s willingness to extend an olive branch, even after Smith’s blunt remarks, indicates he’s ready to at least try mending fences with his former teammate.
