Carson Hocevar opens up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. over Mexico City controversy, reveals mindset after apology

Carson Hocevar is moving forward after everything that happened to him before and after the NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City. While speaking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Dale Jr. Download, Hocevar spoke on where his mindset is after the Mexico City incidents.

“If I didn’t enjoy everything, I wouldn’t do it,” Carson Hoecevar told Dale Earnhardt Jr. about streaming and racing. “Obviously, I made that mistake of saying that stuff. For me, I was just like, ‘Okay, I’ll take a break.'”

Hocevar was referring to the comments he made about Mexico City while he was streaming. He told his friend who does clips for him that he’ll take a few weeks off from streaming and see where things are afterward.

“I felt like for me, I’ve been a fan of everybody growing up. …For me, I want to race and be exactly what I wanted you (Earnhardt) to race like and be like. …I wanted to be a fan of me. I wanted to be the person I am today and look back and just be like I would be a fan of me watching.

Carson Hocevar does not want to ‘miss out on these opportunities’

“I feel like I didn’t want to take my lumps and miss out on these opportunities, young or whatever. Every race is an opportunity. When you’re at he end of it, you’re always going to wish you had one more or one more opportunity, to look back of just like, ‘Man, it would have been nice to have this or this.’ Ever since I got into a Cup car, I was like I’m never going to lose an opportunity because I was nervous.”

Hocevar also talked about driving a Cup car for the first time. He was told he was going to run 30th and not get in anyone’s way.

“…I much rather lose out going 100 percent or my best and it not being good enough,” he said. “That’s how it was, and I’ve just kind of carried that through, of just every race is an opportunity. You never know when the last one is. And when you’re done, whether it’s 20 years from now, you’re always going to look back and be like, ‘Man, I think I could have won this one if I tried harder or just knew this then.’ I just try to speed up that timeline.”

Hocevar is in his second year as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. This year, the 22-year-old has earned four top-10 finishes, including P2 finishes at Atlanta and Nashville.