Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving style continues to be one of the biggest talking points in the NASCAR garage. After another controversial moment in Atlanta, the question many are asking is whether payback will eventually come for the Spire Motorsports wheelman.
On the latest episode of The Teardown, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi discussed Hocevar’s growing reputation and whether his hard-charging approach could lead to retaliation from veteran drivers as the season progresses.
“It could,” Bianchi said when asked if retribution is coming. “You mess with the wrong guy at the wrong time, and it could come back and bite you, and he may see retribution. Joey Logano is one of those guys who — he’s going to remember things, and Joey’s not afraid to go tit-for-tat with you.”
Hocevar’s latest moment of controversy came during overtime at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, when he attempted to split a narrow gap between Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace. The move ended with Bell in the wall and Hocevar once again at the center of the conversation, a familiar spot for the young driver early in his Cup Series career.
Still, Bianchi pointed out that Hocevar’s situation is far from unique. NASCAR history is full of young, aggressive drivers who drew criticism before eventually finding their place in the garage.
“This is also part of it,” Bianchi explained. “The same conversation we had earlier about Brad Keselowski in 2014. Remember all of that? It started even before that. ‘Brad’s too aggressive. Brad’s style can’t win a championship.’ Tony was calling him out, Jimmie was calling him out, everybody was calling him out. Brad said, ‘This is how I race, deal with it,’ and people adjusted.”
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He added that Joey Logano went through a similar phase early in his career. Logano’s willingness to push the limits upset some of the sport’s biggest stars.
“We had the same conversations about Joey,” Bianchi explained. “He was making Denny mad, Kyle mad, Tony mad — everybody mad. People learn, and the garage adjusts, and the driver adjusts a little bit too.”
Even more recently, Ross Chastain faced the same scrutiny as he climbed the Cup Series ladder. He proved that Hocevar’s situation may simply be part of NASCAR’s natural cycle.
“A couple years ago, we were having the same conversation about Ross Chastain,” Bianchi elaborated. “This is the natural progression of the ecosystem in the garage. You get somebody new, fresh, trying to prove themselves. They have their way of doing it, and eventually everybody adapts.”
Alas, Hocevar has already embraced the “Hurricane” nickname, leaning into the aggressive style that has made him one of the most talked-about drivers in the sport. While veterans like Hamlin and Ryan Blaney have offered advice, Hocevar has made it clear he isn’t planning to change.
“I’m just out there racing,” Hocevar told Gluck via The Gluckcast. “I’m going to be super aggressive. … Just getting after it.”
Whether that approach leads to wins or retaliation may be one of the biggest storylines to watch as the NASCAR season continues. Regardless, Hocevar is entertaining as ever on the track, there’s no doubt about that.