- Cup drivers name Hocevar the garage’s biggest wrecker in lighthearted questionnaire.
- Hocevar’s past on-track incidents and controversial moments back up the claim.
- The Spire Motorsports driver stays unapologetic about his aggressive style.
With the NASCAR Cup Series taking a breather this weekend, the spotlight shifts to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which are ready to head to Rockingham Speedway. While the field below the top tier is bracing for another round, those in the Cup garage seem to be letting their guard down, at least off the track.
Recently, several drivers appeared in a NASCAR video in which they were asked a few questions about fellow on-track drivers. In the questionnaire, NASCAR drivers spoke their mind, naming names and pulling no punches on matters usually kept behind closed doors.
When the talk turned to the biggest voice in the garage, fingers pointed toward Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace, both of whom owned up to the tag. But when the question shifted to the driver most likely to trigger a wreck, there was no split verdict.
NASCAR drivers landed the tag squarely on Carson Hocevar
The 23-year-old with Spire Motorsports, who took charge of the No. 77 Chevrolet in 2024, has made waves since stepping into the Cup garage. His aggressive on-track approach has rubbed many the wrong way, and his refusal to walk it back has only added fuel to the fire.
Hocevar has made it clear he sees contact and hard racing as part of the bargain in NASCAR. He has little time for apologies aimed at smoothing things over after the fact, a stance that has not gone down well with those sharing the track.
That’s why, in the video, when the drivers, including Kyle Larson, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Ty Dillon, were probed about the biggest wrecker in the Cup series, everyone’s finger pointed toward Carson Hocevar.
Even his own teammate, Michael McDowell, said, “Probably my teammate. I won’t have to mention which one.”
The clip tied to the questionnaire laid out a trail of incidents, showing multi-car wrecks with Hocevar in the thick of it. When told that his peers had singled him out, Hocevar did not even flinch. His response cut straight through the noise: “Just get the f*** out of the way, and there wouldn’t be a wreck.”
Hocevar’s record backs the talk
Last year at Atlanta, Hocevar bagged his best Cup finish- P2, but it came with sparks. While charging to a podium, he made contact with Ryan Blaney, sending the No. 12 Ford into a spin during the final stage. Blaney clawed back to finish fourth, but the message had already been sent.
There were other flashpoints as well, including moments where Hocevar pushed Ross Chastain while the Trackhouse Racing driver battled for the lead. Later, both drivers spoke with Hocevar in the pit road. When asked what was said after the race, the No. 77 Spire Motorsports driver chose to keep those exchanges to himself.
The pattern has carried into several other races, including this year’s Martinsville race. Just last weekend, Hocevar’s deliberate three-wide move lit the fuse with Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver responded in kind, bumping and then driving into the back of Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet, sending him into a spin.
But despite the trail of run-ins, voices such as Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have appreciated Hocevar’s talents, with Junior and many veterans even comparing Hocevar to Dale Earnhardt Sr. But at the same time, they have warned that racing on a knife-edge comes at a cost, and that what goes around has a way of coming back when he is in contention.
