At Nashville Superspeedway on Lap 106, Carson Hocevar’s aggressive maneuver resulted in a collision that eliminated playoff contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. from the race, while Hocevar earned a second-place finish. This incident, central to the Ricky Stenhouse Jr wreck controversy Nashville, has sparked sharp criticism and ongoing tension among top drivers and analysts.
Denny Hamlin, finishing third that day, voiced strong disapproval during his Actions Detrimental podcast. He criticized Hocevar’s decision-making and suggested that severe consequences will follow due to the reckless nature of the move.
Denny Hamlin Challenges Carson Hocevar’s Reckless Move on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Reviewing the footage with co-host Jared Allen, Hamlin unequivocally rejected Hocevar’s reasoning that Stenhouse could have yielded space. Hamlin pointed out major flaws in Hocevar’s judgment during the dive into the corner.
I didn’t quite understand Carson’s reasoning for saying that he thought maybe Ricky could have given him a break because of the run he had,
Hamlin said.
That’s an interesting take. He ran into the back of Ricky. So, he wasn’t ever inside of Ricky. … And Ricky was ahead of him and was making a normal arc into the corner.
Hamlin emphasized that Stenhouse had no realistic way to avoid the crash, even if he had wanted to yield lane position, which he argued would be unlikely and unfair.
Ricky would have had no opportunity to [avoid the clash] even if he wanted to give the 77 [Hocevar] the bottom lane, which you don’t want to do, nobody’s giving anyone anything,
Hamlin added.
He didn’t give Ricky’s spotter a chance, nothing, because he just dove it in there, and said ‘I think there might be a hole.’ Oh, there wasn’t, oh well.
Hamlin also supported the views of Amazon’s broadcast analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards, who attributed full blame to Hocevar. The controversy worsened after Hocevar’s post-race comments appeared dismissive of Stenhouse’s situation.
I kind of got a run and felt like I was kinda there. I felt like I was there enough to get a call inside and have him kind of just run the middle.
Hamlin condemned this attitude, highlighting a lack of empathy for Stenhouse’s plight.
Their [Amazon’s] analysts said that Carson had a shot to be empathetic to Ricky Stenhouse, who he just wrecked, in an interview, and he chose not to. He [Hocevar] said, ‘He could have cut me a break.’ Hold on, this guy is wrecked, on the trailer, and you’re telling him he should have cut you a break?
Veterans Predict Inevitable Payback From Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Denny Hamlin issued a blunt prediction about the fallout from this collision, warning that retaliation from Stenhouse toward Hocevar is unavoidable in the near future.
He ain’t gonna punch him in the face, but he will absolutely wreck him because Ricky’s that kind of guy who is going to feed into people saying, ‘Are you going to get him?’
Hamlin’s warning was laced with dark humor as he linked the certainty of the payback to personal events in his own life.
There’s nothing I’m more confident of right now other than Jordan [Fish] having a baby and Ricky wrecking Carson,
he remarked, referring to his fiancée‘s pregnancy.
If you’re Carson, just know that it’s coming. Don’t be surprised.
Although Hocevar’s rising status after gaining five spots in points from Nashville has highlighted his talent, his reputation for volatility remains a concern. Veteran drivers, including Kyle Busch, have urged Hocevar to show restraint, but Hamlin indicated the young driver has yet to face full accountability.
Carson hasn’t done anything egregious to me, yet, but I guarantee you that if he does, I’m going to get him.
Stenhouse, fighting to stay in playoff contention, suffered a major setback when the crash ended his race prematurely, forcing a 39th-place finish and dropping him to 18th in the standings.
Hamlin concluded with a firm assertion that the incident‘s repercussions will continue to impact the drivers involved.
It’s gonna come back to him.
