Denny Hamlin on Carson Hocevar's Cup Series performance: 'Driving like an idiot'

Carson Hocevar might be rubbing Denny Hamlin the wrong way at the onset of his Cup Series career.

During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin took some time to elaborate on why he believes Hocevar’s driving has been problematic over the last couple of weeks, and what he needs to do better as he prepares to run full-time in 2024.

“There wasn’t much else that caught really my eye, to really bring out, other really than dammit, Carson Hocevar. He’s losing his mind again,” Hamlin said. “I just said last week, I was singing his praises about what he was doing in the Truck Series, but I’ve now seen consecutive weeks in Cup, where he’s driving like an idiot,” Hamlin said. “I come up to lap him, and he’s running into people. He’s pinching people down. I don’t know what he’s doing. He’s got his ride for next year. What is he — you’re just pissing people off for no reason.

“I mean, for what? He wrecked Ty Gibbs. Ty is on the lead lap, he’s two laps down. What are you doing? There’s something in the brain that cuts off the circulation when he puts the helmet on. It’s frustrating, because you see these younger guys with talent, and they can do it. They can be at a very high level. They just don’t get it. Carson is a head-scratcher for me because, and I appreciate Dale Jr. on the broadcast, calling him out again. Saying, ‘Do this in the Cup Series. Go ahead. It’s a bad choice.’ I don’t care what Ty did to him. I didn’t see Ty do anything to him. We didn’t see it on TV. We don’t know. There might’ve been something. Ty might’ve knocked him up the race track, because he’s on the f—ing lead lap. You’re two laps down. Get out of the way.”

While Hamlin is a fan of the talent Hocevar possesses, he believes the young racer has some maturity issues to work out over the next couple of months.

“There’s got to be some maturing going on there, that he’s got to work out, because it’s frustrating to watch,” Hamlin added. “If it was someone that really sucked, you really wouldn’t care. It would just be like, ‘Well, I’ll never have to race this guy,’ but it’s — he’s better than what his brain is allowing him to be.”

Perhaps it’s a little of an old veteran yelling at the clouds, but Denny Hamlin is strong in his beliefs, and he thinks it’s time for Carson Hocevar to change, before it’s too late.