Carson Hocevar addressed criticism about his driving during the recent Autotrader 400 in Atlanta on Jeff Gluck’s podcast, emphasizing that his actions were not designed to attract attention or generate controversy. The Spire Motorsports driver explained his approach was purely competitive, distancing himself from accusations of performing for the spotlight.
At the Atlanta race, Hocevar staged a remarkable comeback, recovering from being two laps down due to a flat tire and damaged window to ultimately lead the field on the final lap. However, during his rise, he made several aggressive moves that unsettled front runners, notably causing a collision with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell on the first overtime restart. This incident drew sharp criticism from Denny Hamlin, who spoke out against Hocevar’s tactics on his own podcast and defended his position in conversations with fans.
Hocevar Clarifies His Intentions and Views on Media Coverage
Discussing the controversy on the Gluckcast, Hocevar dismissed notions that he staged his moves for publicity or merchandise sales. He said,
“I’m not out there driving and going ‘ah you know, I want to sell some more t-shirts. I’m going to split this hole or I’m going to make this move and yeah, they’ll talk about that and then in the interview, ah, did you did you see that? Did you did you see what I did?’ And, you know, cut a WWE promo,”
conveying that his focus remains solely on racing.
He further added,
“Like the rest is noise, and I laugh at it sometimes,”
and explained that he views much of the backlash as mere entertainment rather than serious criticism.
Race Outcome and Prior Team Contributions Highlight Recent Weekend
Hocevar ultimately finished fourth in the Atlanta Truck Series race, an impressive result given the adversity he faced. The weekend also saw him lend support to teammate Kyle Busch, helping Busch secure his third straight Truck Series victory in Atlanta the day before. A memorable moment came when Hocevar high-fived Busch during Busch’s victory burnout, a move Hocevar later admitted was a calculated effort to attract social media attention for his team, describing it as a “business decision.”
Hocevar on His Relationship with Christopher Bell and Future Interactions
When asked if he planned to speak with Christopher Bell following their on-track incident, Hocevar expressed skepticism about the value of such conversations. He stated,
“I don’t know what me saying anything would would do for him, right? I don’t really like the conversation stuff. Like I feel like if he has to race me harder, like me saying anything is not probably going to change that.”
This suggests Hocevar prefers to let future competition resolve their differences.
Aggressive Driving History and Upcoming Challenge at Circuit of the Americas
Hocevar’s aggressive approach is not new; he drew criticism last year at the Atlanta race for spinning out Ryan Blaney but stood firm on his right to race hard. As he prepares for the next challenge at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Hocevar faces a track where he has struggled to find top results, lacking any top-10 finishes despite starting in the top five last year. The upcoming road course event presents a distinct test compared to his more successful performances on ovals.
