Carson Hocevar had been on the radar of several NASCAR Cup drivers since his tenure in the Truck Series due to the level of chaos he stirred in some races. Since ascending to the Cup Series last year, it appears he has begun to employ similar tactics with the Cup drivers, which have not been well-received.
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Following the Atlanta race, Hocevar found himself in discussions with a few drivers, and in light of the same, Denny Hamlin recently offered him advice aimed at fostering maturity and better decision-making on the track.
Hamlin mentioned that although he might not be the quintessential mentor, having come up in the ranks alongside revered drivers like Mark Martin and Tony Stewart set a high bar for him.
He contrasted this with the current racing ethos, which Hocevar embodies — a cultural shift towards aggressive maneuvers that often result in collisions. Hamlin lamented the lost art of passing, criticizing the modern approach of simply bulldozing through the field.
That’s why Hamlin concluded, “So it’d be hard for me to give him advice but I would say that one of the best our sport has ever seen — Jimmy Johnson. You just never saw him run into anybody, but yet he was just a fierce person on the racetrack.”
“You feared him but it was because of how good he was, and how fast his car was, and his skillset not because oh this guy’s going to run into me. It’s just different now so it’d be hard.”
Nonetheless, Hamlin did offer Hocevar a bit of suggestion, noting, “If you do run into someone or you know you do someone wrong on the track it’s probably best to then be humble publicly.”
Did Hamlin issue a subtle warning to Hocevar?
Given that Hamlin himself has often been on the receiving front of the controversies for deliberate on-track clashes, such as wrecking someone or shunting someone up the track to kill their momentum, he cautioned Hocevar about the repercussions of such tactics. He explained that aggressive moves can ignite rivalries on the racetrack.
Hamlin warned that if a driver [like Hocevar] is responsible for a wreck, it could lead to a tit-for-tat scenario on the track. The next time those drivers encounter the instigator, they might seek retribution.
Even if direct revenge isn’t sought, they might drive in a manner that exacerbates the aggressor’s frustration, inducing a mistake that could knock them out of the race.
For example, a lead driver might aggressively block those behind, particularly targeting someone known for rough racing, as opposed to giving space to a driver known for clean racing.
It remains to be seen whether Hocevar will heed Hamlin’s advice. His post-race discussions with Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney, stemming from on-track decisions that adversely affected the #1 and #12 drivers, suggest that Hocevar might already be cultivating feuds with seasoned Cup drivers.
However, his post-race comment, “We’re here to win races, not build boy bands, love each other, or play on playgrounds together,” signals that he may not be ready to dial back his aggressive approach any time soon.
