Carson Hocevar Doesn't Mind What the NASCAR Media Says About His Actions

Carson Hocevar's name was in the news again after his race in Atlanta where he ruined Christopher Bell's day on the first overtime restart. Hocevar who was starting on row two at EchoPark Speedway tried to get between the leaders Bell and Bubba Wallace by going three-wide into a gap that was getting smaller.

The move didn't work out though because Hocevar hit the left rear of Bell's No. 20 Toyota which made him spin nose-first into the SAFER barrier and end his day. Bell didn't say anything after the race but his teammate Denny Hamlin did.

Hamlin sent a message between the lines on his Actions Detrimental podcast. He hinted that Hocevar might get payback down the road if he keeps bothering drivers, which he is known to do. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who used to support Hocevar and compared him to his father also spoke out saying that the Spire driver might be making enemies on the track.

Hocevar on the other hand seems to be a different kind of person. Dirty Mo Media shared a clip in which he brushed off the criticism of his style saying that he only cares about gaps and lap times not microphones and timelines. "I just watch all the shows and listen. I'm just racing." I'm out there. I see chances. And this is all I can think about. "This is all I do."

He stood by his word and made a clear distinction between what the media said and what happened on the track. "Like the rest is noise, and I laugh at it sometimes, or I see it, but there's not one bit where I look at any podcast or anything. I only look at it for fun. He went on to say, "The rest is all competition, and I separate it." This made it clear that he wants his performance to speak for itself.

In a different part of the same episode Hocevar said that he joked with friends that he might not win every fan poll but he could be their favorite driver's favorite. The 23-year-old racer waved off worries about payback saying "I'm just racing." He compared contact to a shooter missing skeet targets and taking it in stride.

He thinks he can make moves stick on the track and race aggressively because the Next Gen era rewards that edge, especially since the current package is so strong and can handle contact with other cars. Hocevar sees someone who wants to settle a score as having intent.

But one thing is for sure: Hocevar's "take it or leave it" attitude has brought in a lot of younger fans and gotten people talking about the sport, even as arguments about his style keep coming up.