NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never been one to sugarcoat his opinions, and as the 2025 season wrapped up, he named some underperforming drivers he believes have failed to live up to their expectations.
On his own “Dale Jr. Download” podcast, the NASCAR legend mentioned three names in particular—Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, and Carson Hocevar—each of whom faced struggles that defined their uneven seasons.
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Despite securing maiden Cup Series victory in his first season with Wood Brothers Racing, Berry’s campaign was overshadowed by nine DNFs.
“Josh did great, but I mean, they were either amazing (or on the hook. Nine DNFs). That part’s the part he’s got to clean up.” Dale Jr. said.
Ty Gibbs, the grandson of former NFL Hall-of-Famer and team owner Joe Gibbs, made noticeable strides in 2025 but still left Dale Jr. wanting more. The 23-year-old driver delivered strong performances but failed to deliver them consistently—recording only 5 top-5s and 10 top-10s.
“Gibbs is underperforming a little bit. There were some moments in the back half of the year where you’re starting to see like, Oh, there it is. To me, there’s tons of potential still there,” Dale Jr. continued.
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year Carson Hocevar looked poised for his breakout season midway through the year as the 22-year-old appeared close to securing his first Cup Series win at Atlanta and Nashville, where he finished runner-up in both races. And with mechanical issues later in the 2025 season, what could have been a breakout season instead turned into a mediocre season. He had eight DNFs.
“Carson Hocevar midway through the season, almost looking like he’s going to win us a race. Then he started having a lot of problems. Hocevar, he’s in a car that if they don’t win a race, they’re probably not going to point their way in.” Dale Jr. said.
“Dude was super consistent all year long”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised Chase Elliott’s consistency in 2025
While Dale Earnhardt Jr. was critical of several drivers, he made a point to praise Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott, who had performed consistently throughout the season. HMS Star had a second-best average finish of 12.6 after Christopher Bell in 2025.
Elliott’s 2025 campaign showcased reliability, two wins, 11 top-5s, and 19 top-10s—exactly what Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes will eventually return him to championship contention. He sees Elliott as a driver still fully capable of reclaiming his position as Hendrick Motorsports’ top performer.
In the aforementioned podcast, the former NASCAR Xfinity champion said:
“Chase Elliott, dude was super consistent all year long. Before Larson, he was the guy at Hendrick. I’m still holding out hope that he gets himself back to the top.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also named JGR’s Chase Briscoe and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace as overperforming drivers due to their brilliant performance in 2025.
Edited by Yash Soni
