Dale Earnhardt Jr. warns payback is coming for Carson Hocevar eventually: 'Maybe Denny'

Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving style has quickly made him one of the most talked-about and polarizing drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. Now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes it’s only a matter of time before someone decides they’ve had enough.

On the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt didn’t mince words about what Hocevar’s future might hold if the bold moves continue. He thinks at least one driver will take it upon himself to police him.

“I’ll play this game. I feel like, eventually, yes, somebody will do something. I do,” Earnhardt said. “There will be a time when somebody — it may be Denny — they just say, ‘You know what? I’m not having a f—ing good race today and you are. This is my chance. I’m already finished. So I’m just going to go ahead and make it hard on you. How do you like that?’ I mean, I definitely think that will happen.”

Alas, Hocevar’s “Hurricane” reputation was on full display in Sunday’s Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. After going two laps down early, he stormed back through the field, forced tight holes and inserted himself into nearly every critical moment late in the race.

He ultimately finished fourth, but not without ruffling feathers. His race to the finish included a controversial move that contributed to Christopher Bell’s overtime crash.

Additionally, Kevin Harvick recently suggested the same thing on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, saying that when a driver consistently puts others in uncomfortable spots, eventually someone will “send a message.” Earnhardt echoed that sentiment.

“I know the drivers get out of the car and they say, ‘He’s going to regret that one of these days,’ and we don’t see anything,” Earnhardt added. “But eventually yes. Eventually, enough is enough, and somebody will drop the hammer. … You know who it might be? Could be anybody. Could be Gragson. Gragson likes to be the messenger.”

Above all, neither Earnhardt or Harvick accused Hocevar of breaking rules. In fact, both have acknowledged that he’s simply racing aggressively in a hyper-competitive environment. But in NASCAR, reputations build quickly, and memories linger longer than anything.

Regardless, Hocevar has started 2026 strong and is knocking on the door of his first Cup win. Yet in a sport where respect is often earned through both speed and awareness, his hard-charging style may eventually come with a price.

As Earnhardt sees it, it’s not a matter of if someone retaliates, but when. We’ll see if it’s this weekend at COTA in Austin, Texas.