admin Carson Hocevar is back in the news this week; again, it is not good. It’s another week and another victim of the sophomore drivers’ aggressive driving. But this time it hurt Ricky Stenhouse, who was on track to have a solid day at Nashville. This will cast a dark cloud on his 2nd place finish and have him looking over his shoulder going into Michigan.
Carson Hocevar Faces Heavy Criticism After Wrecking Stenhouse At Nashville
On Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, tensions boiled over between Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during the Cracker Barrel 400. On Lap 106, Hocevar made contact with the rear of Stenhouse’s car entering Turn 3, sending the No. 47 hard into the outside wall. The crash ended Stenhouse’s race, handing him a last-place finish and his first DNF of the season.
The Prime Video broadcast team didn’t hold back. While the commentators each brought their unique tone, they echoed a shared sentiment: the wreck could’ve, and should’ve, been avoided.
“He had the chance to give him a break there.”
“That was an opportunity not to do that,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Steve Letarte added, “These are the coin flips that Carson has to give to Stenhouse if he wants to be raced with respect when it’s his turn to cut down. A little discretion could’ve gone a long way.”
Ricky Said, “It’s not out of the norm for him” to Marty Snider outside the care center on Sunday night.
This Isn’t Intimidation, It’s Immaturity:
I get that fans want personality in their drivers, but this isn’t the kind of personality NASCAR needs. Wrecking Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for 17th place? That was chicken-sh*t. Hocevar had the better car; he knew it, and he still dumped him. There’s no defending it.
Some have started comparing Hocevar to Dale Earnhardt. Let’s stop that. Earnhardt was 27 when he won his first Cup race. Hocevar is just 22. He’s still learning, still maturing—and it shows.
Denny Hamlin said it best when talking about the “Intimidator” persona Hocevar seems to be adopting: “You’re not that guy.”
And after the race, instead of showing any hint of remorse, Hocevar doubled down in his interview with Frontstretch:
“Maybe I could’ve had a break too.”
That’s not grit or edge. That’s just a lack of empathy.
Some fans are embracing this as part of his “personality”—a loose cannon who’s not afraid to mix it up. But let’s be real: this isn’t toughness. It’s inexperience. It’s arrogance. And it’s not going to earn him respect in the garage.
Look, I think Carson Hocevar does have the talent and potential to be a star in the Cup Series. He has the speed, the raw skill, and now he has another second-place finish at Nashville to prove it. But let’s call it like it is: he wrecked Stenhouse because he wanted the position, not because he needed to. A more experienced driver would’ve known: I’ve got the better car—I’ll get him clean.
What happened at Atlanta might’ve been a rookie mistake. But this time? It feels a lot more deliberate.
Read More: Why All the Hate for Carson Hocevar? He’s Just Like Every Other Young Driver
Ricky Stenhouse and Hyak Motorsports Deserved The Break:
Sunday night’s crash at Nashville saw Hocevar get into Ricky Stenhouse Jr., effectively derailing what was shaping up to be a solid night for the No. 47 team. Stenhouse dropped from 13th in points, a strong position in the playoff picture, to 19th, now three spots outside the cutline. And for what?
Stenhouse has every right to be furious. If he retaliates, no one would blame him. Hyak Motorsports and Stenhouse came into the season as a bit of a joke. The Twitter jabs were brutal:
“…spinning into the wall,” and “Hyak also translates into Can Only Win On Plate Tracks.”
But after 13 races, they were outperforming expectations. They were in the playoff picture on points, something teams with more funding and more personnel were still struggling to do. And now all of that is in jeopardy because of a move that didn’t need to happen.
It seems Hocevar has not tried to mend the situation. Wednesday, Stenhouse went on the Motor Stardom Show and said Hocevar had not called him to mend the situation. He added “Definitely be something I won’t forget” and “If I don’t hear from him by the weekend, I’ll confront him and we’ll figure it out”. RJ Starcevic shared the clip on Twitter:
No call yet from Carson Hocevar yet to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Watch full episode now -> https://t.co/UooJDmackA#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oW6bZlUhbN
— RJ Starcevic (@RJStarcevic) June 4, 2025
Ominous word heading to Michigan, Carson’s home track.
Hocevar’s Heading Home With A Target On His Back
Carson Hocevar doesn’t need this kind of press. He’s a likable guy with real speed and a growing fan base. His Twitch streams, he’s making friends with Cleetus McFarland, and his social media presence—those have all helped build a good image. He doesn’t need to be making enemies. Not now. Not heading into Michigan, his home track, where he will probably have the speed to contend for his first win.
Imagine the headlines: Carson Hocevar scores first Cup win at home. Instead, the narrative is Can he survive the race without getting dumped? He should be looking forward to Michigan. Now he’ll be looking over his shoulder.
Carson Hocevar will win Cup races. Hell, he may win this weekend. But I think this could derail what could have been a hell of a storyline going into Michigan.
Read Next: Can Ford’s Dominance at Michigan be stopped?
Main Photo: Meg Oliphant, Getty Images
Recording Date: October 19, 2024
