Carson Hocevar unapologetic for aggressive driving style despite criticism: 'That's more who I am'

Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Carson Hocevar if he sees himself as an aggressive driver on Dale Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media recently. It doesn’t sound as if Hocevar is going to stop his aggressive driving anytime soon.

“I don’t know if I think, I know,” Carson Hocevar said. “100 percent.” That confirmation will come as no surprise to NASCAR fans who’ve been following Carson’s career. Many will remember the infamous 2023 NASCAR Truck Series Phoenix championship race, where Carson’s aggression very well may have cost Corey Heim the title.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. went deeper, asking if Carson looks at his aggression as a tool. He cited the run-in Hocevar had with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville earlier this year.

“I think there’s just multiple ways to skin the cat of it, just like how I thought there’s a car directly in front of him,” Hocevar responded. “I’d show my nose really early, he’s probably going to want clean air, he’s going to run, and he didn’t. I’m going to take that hole, or I’m gonna at least make him go higher.

“He didn’t, and I was just like, ‘No, you’re not coming down here. I got you.’ And then just like, ‘Oh, I’m going to kind of just like force this to happen.’ …I guess that’s more who I am. Just like when you start doing something, I’m just going to take that last second of just like, ‘No, hold on. I’m coming in, I’m on my way. I’m going to get there. Your spotter’s going to call inside about two seconds.’ Sometimes that leads to people trying to cut over or whatever. There’s plenty of instances where I’m just like, ‘Ah, that’s too much or not.'”

A line certainly exists in the Spire Motorsports No. 77 driver’s mind, but it draws closer to that of Cup drivers like Ross Chastain or Joey Logano, who seemingly have no reservations about how they are perceived, and are often accused of crossing it.

The Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. saga continues

Hocevar’s racing style has led to some confrontations with veteran drivers. The most notable being a continuation of his run-ins with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Mexico City, which led to Stenhouse verbally attacking him after the race.

“I’m going to beat your ass,” Stenhouse told Hocevar after the contact sent the No. 47 spinning during the June Mexico City race – the second incident between the two drivers in three racing weekends. To his credit, Hocevar immediately owned up to being in the wrong in this particular case. And despite the threats from Stenhouse Jr., we’ve yet to see Carson get his ass beaten. Whatever the case, Hocevar is on a short leash in the No. 47 wheelman’s eyes, and it’s only getting shorter.

“I told him on the phone [after Nashville], if it happens again, we’re going to have issues,” Stenhouse said after the brief exchange at Mexico City, per Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “And then that one was even worse because he’s a lap down. He’s racing nobody.”