“Enough Is Enough”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Warns Carson Hocevar About Facing Retaliation from Other Drivers

After earning appreciation for putting on his business hat and backing Kyle Busch in the Truck race at Atlanta, Carson Hocevar switched gears the moment he shed that suit and climbed into his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Once the visor came down, it was back to elbows out for the young driver. Following the 2026 Autotrader 400, veterans lined up to wave a caution flag his way, pointing to his late-race maneuvers that sent front-runner Christopher Bell into the wall.

Bell kept silent, but Denny Hamlin let it fly. He warned Hocevar that what goes around comes around. One day, Hocevar will think he has the win in hand, and someone else will decide otherwise. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who once likened the 22-year-old’s edge to Dale Sr.’s early run in 1979, echoed a version of that message.

He said, “Carson Hocevar racing aggressively. We’re here right now to talk about whether this is his fault or not his fault. And I think it’s clear that he bears the responsibility for everything to happen. Does this come back on him? We don’t know. We do not know. I feel like that, eventually, yes, somebody will do something. And it may be Denny, that says, ‘You know what? I’m not having a good race today. And you are. And it’s my chance.'”

“I know the drivers get out of the car, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s going to regret that one of these days.’ And we don’t see anything. But eventually, yes, eventually enough’s enough and somebody will drop the hammer… Could be anybody. I think he does understand right from wrong. I think he does know when he makes a mistake,” he added.

 

Hocevar, for his part, seems to march to the beat of his own drum. Dale Jr. argued that when his owner, crew chief, and inner circle are asking him to stay the course, he would most likely keep his foot in it. If they want him as he is, then that is the version the field will keep getting.

Ironically, it was Dale Jr. who earlier stood on the table for Hocevar while others threw shade, urging him not to mellow down his style. He argued that the same take-no-prisoners approach helped Dale Sr. win fans and stack up seven titles.

Meanwhile, from the cockpit, Hocevar admitted the move on Bell was somewhat over the line. He saw a gap, went for it, and paid part of the price. He said he choked on the final restart and had no aim to ruin anyone’s day, yet he held firm that the current car rewards drivers who drive aggressively.

When the race ended, Bell limped home in P21, while Hocevar slipped through the chaos and claimed P4. Hocevar sits fourth in the 2026 Cup standings as of now, 51 points behind leader Tyler Reddick.