Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar was featured in the media day availability ahead of the Darlington race this weekend. During the interaction, Hocevar opened up about fans comparing him to the NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. for his driving style in the past few weeks.
The #77 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver has earned this reputation with his make-no-friends attitude and aggressive driving style. This year at the season’s opener, the Daytona 500, a last-lap spin cost him the win. Then at EchoPark Speedway, he secured a P4 after leading the pack in the closing laps.
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Carson Hocevar’s driving style during the Atlanta weekend drew criticism from NASCAR veteran driver Denny Hamlin. However, Hocevar was praised by fans, comparing him to Dale Earnhardt Sr. for his unapologetic driving style. Since then, the comparison have continuted, and Hocevar claims he “appreciates it” but “doesn’t even really like it.”
The Spire Motorsports driver explained:
“I’m just driving how I want to drive. I don’t. Yeah, I don’t really love the comparisons of what are they turned into. Yeah, it started by just kind of not apologizing after, you know, running into people, basically, and just being really, really aggressive to turning into, you know, kind of the, you know, “I’m as good as him.” And I was like, “I don’t know where that came from.”
“So, yeah, I don’t; I just plan on driving. I’m just hoping I’m fast enough that, you know, or we’re good enough that we could actually be upfront and be relevant, especially with that scheme. Yeah, I’m just me. I’ve been saying it for a long time I like just being me, you know, it’s a lot easier that way. For my sake. Yeah, I don’t like the Taft to be anybody. I’m not,” he concluded.
Even the seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty himself compared Carson Hocevar to Dale Earnhardt Sr. after his Atlanta run. The former NASCAR champion also revealed that Hocevar needs to “control himself a little better” for better results.
“It’s going to come back around”: Denny Hamlin warned Carson Hocevar for his driving style after the Atlanta weekend
After finishing the Atlanta race, Denny Hamlin was featured on an episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast. During the episode, Hamlin addressed Carson Hocevar, siding with Christopher Bell and issuing a warning for his driving style.
Moreover, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver noted that fans and media might appreciate Hocevar’s style. But from a driver’s perspective, it’s not the same. Hamlin then addressed the Bell incident and warned the Spire driver that what goes around comes around in the sport.
Continuing, Denny Hamlin added:
“It’s tough to watch. The media loves it, by the way. If you want to see what the media thinks, just ask them, and they’ll tell you, ‘Ah, we love Hocevar.’ Well, no question you do because he’s giving you some content for you to talk about. As a competitor, though, like, eventually, it’s going to come back around.”
Carson Hocevar will compete against Denny Hamlin at Darlington Raceway during Throwback Week. The Goodyear 400 is scheduled for March 22, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM, and HBO Max.
Edited by Karan Yadav
