“I felt comfortable really being aggressive.” Carson Hocevar said these words back in 2023. As a sophomore driver in the Cup Series, those words have become part of his brand image in NASCAR. Ranging from spinning Corey Heim in the 2023 Truck Series championship to ticking off multiple peers in the 2025 Atlanta Cup Series race, Hocevar’s antics are well-known. In fact, fans referred to him in a wreck-filled race he was not even taking part in recently.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series race returned to Rockingham Speedway for the first time since 2004. Not only have two decades gone by, but also the clean racing. The North Carolina Education Lottery 250 witnessed 14 cautions that engulfed race leaders. Carson Hocevar was present on the racetrack with his snazzy new truck and poked fun at the carnage.
Carson Hocevar delivers a humorous jibe
Well, Xfinity Series drivers were in for multiple surprises at Rockingham. The 0.94-mile D-shaped track’s tight corners and narrow racing surface stuttered the pace of many veterans. Ryan Sieg led for 77 laps in the race but lost the lead with 15 laps to go after running out of fuel. Kasey Kahne, a veteran who made a comeback, displayed great speed during practice. But a wreck involving William Sawalich and Katherine Legge engulfed him. After Christian Eckes also ran out of fuel, he collected contenders like Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones. With more such mishaps unfolding throughout the race, the Rockingham event was nothing short of chaos. Carson Hocevar watched from the infield where he had parked his Dale Earnhardt Sr.-themed No. 3 truck.
Following Dale Sr’s tragic death at Daytona in 2001, Chevrolet released a limited edition Silverado Intimidator SS in 2006. Only 1,333 were made, and Carson Hocevar happened to come across one on Facebook Marketplace during the Phoenix weekend this year. He immediately got his hands on it and decided to show it off. After rolling it into Darlington Raceway two weeks ago, Hocevar rolled his Intimidator truck into Rockingham as well. A fan clicked a picture of it and hilariously commented: “I think @CarsonHocevar is the only vehicle left without damage.” Hocevar’s comeback was equally funny as he accepted his aggressive brand image. He wrote, “probably getting blamed for these wrecks rn.”
I think @CarsonHocevar is the only vehicle left without damage pic.twitter.com/tTlJYyg2v1
— Mr. Cheeselton, Duke of Snacks (@GriffinEldred) April 19, 2025
Carson Hocevar, dubbed as the “s–t stirrer” of NASCAR by Dale Earnhardt Jr, shared his insights about the wreck fest in Rockingham. He lauded the efforts of trendsetters like Alpha Prime Racing drivers Parker Retzlaff and Brennan Poole. “Everybody’s running out of fuel, right? …Yeah, it’s entertaining for sure. It’s been a better race than I expected. The racetrack seems like it’s doing great…Like, there’s interesting guys up front – the 4, the 25 are up front, the 44’s actually up front too. It’s been fun to watch, it’s been unbelievable to be up there… Just the sounds and how colorful everybody makes their cars, right? It looks really cool.”
As Carson Hocevar dabbles in the sights and sounds of Xfinity Series racing, his old home ground called to him. The Spire Motorsports driver is going back to his roots this season.
A side schedule for the sophomore
The NASCAR Cup Series is suiting Carson Hocevar quite well. In 2024, he clinched 1 top-five and 6 top-ten finishes and secured the Rookie of the Year award. This year, he already has a runner-up finish in Atlanta. However, sometimes Hocevar does feel nostalgic. Maybe it was the new Intimidator’s truck that he owns now, or maybe it was witnessing Rockingham’s chaos. Whatever the source of inspiration, Hocevar will pursue a part-time schedule in the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado, he will start several races. The racetracks that the four-time Truck race winner will tackle are Texas, Kansas, Michigan, and Pocono. What is more, Hocevar made his announcement dramatically.
Carson Hocevar did it while serving as an Analyst for FOX Sports during the Craftsman Truck Series practice at Rockingham. Veteran Crew Chief Brian Pattie will continue to call the shots for the No. 7 in the select four races. The No. 7 Truck already had Kyle Busch, Justin Haley, and Corey Day behind the wheel this season. Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, won in Atlanta and is the defending race winner at Texas Motor Speedway. However, Hocevar may have the blessing he needs to bring more success to the same truck. He said that although Dale Jr has not formally acknowledged his Dale Sr-themed truck, he probably sanctions it. “I don’t know if he’s seen it, I’m sure he has. I haven’t, I’m always weird to text people and just be like ‘hey look at this’, sure if I saw him or whatnot.”
Evidently, Carson Hocevar packs a lot of energy in NASCAR, even if he is not in a race. With the rest of the 2025 schedule left, let us see if the young star scratches his ‘aggressive’ itch himself.
The post NASCAR’s Newest Antagonist Mocks Himself Over Rockingham Chaos While Rocking the Intimidator appeared first on EssentiallySports.
