This Sunday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, 22-year-old Carson Hocevar finish second but left with no friends.
According to Hocevar, making friends isn’t a priority. After the race he said, “I finished second. We’re here to win races, not be a boy band and love each other and play on the playground together.”
The 22-year-old built himself a reputation during his time with the NASCAR truck series. He was know for losing his composure and retaliating, but that dwindled when he earned NASCAR top-rookie honors during the Cup Series.
However, one thing that remained was his aggressive style. Those against his aggressive style argue not the moves but the timing of the moves. Ryan Blaney, who was hit by Hocevar in the final stage said, “He’s just a moron,” adding “He just runs right in the back of us. He has zero idea of where to bump somebody.” Hocevar responded by saying, “That’s 100 percent on me. … It sucks, the optics of it, for sure. It’s not fun to do that.”
During the race, Hocevar found himself among the leaders seeking his first Cup victory. As he squeezed past Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, he found himself with the opportunity to make the pass for the win. However, right before he could do so the caution flag came out ending the race as the white-flag had already been waved.
Hocevar wasn’t the only one who made aggressive moves. In an attempt to block Austin Cindric, Larson pinched him into the wall ending his race.
The difference between the two is Larson has earned the respect of fellow drivers. Hocevar is still young and hasn’t earned that level of respect. Working against him is his past reckless decisions during previous races, giving him a reputation of a reckless driver.
Hocevar acknowledged Sunday wasn’t his cleanest race. Typically, he races in the back waiting and hoping they crash. This time, he felt he had a good car and wanted to race up front. Ultimately, this worked in his favor as he placed second in the race.