NASCAR ventured into foreign land for the first time in 67 years – and had no dearth of problems. From teams getting stranded in airports to viral photos underlining security in Mexico City, the issues were plenty. While Daniel Suarez and Shane Van Gisbergen grabbed most of the spotlight, Carson Hocevar also did for the wrong reasons. He sparked controversy with his actions and words, both of which he tried to make up for.
The Spire Motorsports sophomore has been the yardstick of problematic incidents. His latest beef with Ricky Stenhouse Jr found a second chapter in Mexico. What is more, Carson Hocevar also started beef with Mexican fans – but he also tried to reverse his tracks.
Carson Hocevar softens his stance
Well, a solid rebuke from a hot-headed rival may have done the trick. Carson Hocevar ticked off Ricky Stenhouse Jr, famous for his fistfight with Kyle Busch at the 2024 All-Star Race. It started in Nashville 2 weeks ago when the Spire driver ran Stenhouse into the wall. After some talks to calm him down, the Hyak Motorsports driver had warned Hocevar that the next time would be the last straw. That next time came too soon as Hocevar hit Stenhouse on lap 90 of the Viva Mexico 250 race. Throw in Hocevar’s spiteful comments about Mexico City, and you have got a truckload of Hocevar haters. During his Twitch stream on Friday night, Hocevar called the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track “such a s—hole.”
This sparked massive controversy online among NASCAR’s Mexican fans. Although the reasons lay in logistical and security issues, it was still disrespectful on Carson Hocevar‘s part. After the Cup Series race, though, the sophomore racer owned up to his mistake. He explained, “Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan. When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here.” His encounter with Stenhouse somewhat altered his views, as Hocevar wittily said, “I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway.”
Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan.
When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard…
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) June 16, 2025
What is more, Carson Hocevar acknowledged the immense enthusiasm of Mexican race fans. With 90% of the crowd hailing from Daniel Suarez’s home country, Hocevar said: “Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed.” He continued his apologetic stance: “Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it’s me. I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”
Clearly, Carson Hocevar has learned about his mistake. As the young racer works on his actions and words with time, he holds great expectations from veteran drivers.
People expect the best out of him
After Carson Hocevar stirred controversy in Nashville, he got a salute from a top executive. Despite spinning out Ricky Stenhouse Jr, the Spire driver managed to eke out a runner-up finish. That was enough to dazzle Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports Vice President of Competition. Then NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr compared Hocevar’s moves to none other than his own father, the Intimidator. Now, Denny Hamlin has jumped aboard this bus of fans for Hocevar. The latter was well on his way to his first Cup Series win in Michigan before a fuel mileage issue and a blown tire dropped him from contention with 19 laps to go.
Denny Hamlin, who won the Michigan race, felt sorry for him. However, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran also acknowledged that once Carson Hocevar begins to mend his ways, nobody can stop him. He said, “When he figures out how to harness that and pick and choose the moments where he is aggressive, he’s going to put it all together and just be the next whoever. There’s five to six elite drivers in this series, and he could be one of those five or six very easily when he puts it all together. He’s got all the tools. He’s got all the pieces to the puzzle right there in front of them. He’s not missing anything. When he figures out how to put it all together, he’s going to be a future star.”
Hence, the path is upward for Carson Hocevar – as long as he can see it. Let us see if his apologetic stance can mend some bridges in Mexico City.
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