NASCAR drivers’ primary role is earning glory from their race cars. However, that is only a part of their duty in the sport. Dale Earnhardt was known for his aggressive moves, like bump-and-runs or wiping his window mid-race. Amazon Prime’s new documentary spotlights some of his most questionable moments, like wrecking Darrell Waltrip in the 1986 Richmond race. But even in the thick of controversy, Dale Sr fulfilled the other part of his role magnificently – and Carson Hocevar is echoing that.
The Spire Motorsports sophomore driver is currently the hot topic of the NASCAR Cup Series. The rowdy youngster sparked a chaotic debate yet again after he wrecked Ricky Stenhouse Jr in Nashville. Even amidst the criticism, Dale Jr could not help but underline Hocevar’s confidence.
Carson Hocevar seeks the limelight
While several controversies clouded Dale Earnhardt’s career, he was no less of a legend. The stories that Dale Sr helped churn out on the racetrack made him a fan-favorite personality. For instance, the ‘Pass in the Grass’ move at the 1987 Winston All-Star Race was as iconic as ever. Similarly, Carson Hocevar’s antics on the racetrack might irk several racers. In the 2025 Atlanta race, he ticked off Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch. On lap 106 of the Cracker Barrel 400 race, Hocevar bumped Ricky Stenhouse Jr into the wall. Yet even amidst these controversial moments, the Spire driver is doing one thing right – drawing all the spotlight on him.
That is what Dale Earnhardt Jr observed in a recent ‘Dale Jr Download’ episode. The Amazon Prime analyst clearly criticized Carson Hocevar’s Nashville moves in the booth and tried to be apologetic to Hocevar post-race. However, his reaction countered all other drivers that Dale Jr has previously called out, The veteran said: “I told him after the race, ‘You’re going to win a s— ton of races…I think the world of you and your talent. But there’ll be times in the booth when I’ll just have to say, call it like I see it.’ Some drivers do not like that…But Carson’s response to all of that was,” and Dale Jr dropped the 7-word message, “I’m just glad you’re talking about me.”
This eagerness for the limelight directly echoes the late Intimidator’s goal. Dale Earnhardt Jr reflected on how his father set his priorities straight on the racetrack. Controversy or not, Dale Sr never wanted to fade from the newspaper headlines. Junior continued, “I kind of wanted to use that reference to what Dad said many years ago – they need to be cheering you or booing you. When you get up there and you don’t do anything, you’re in big trouble.” Dale Jr himself has adopted the same philosophy to the fullest extent. He is NASCAR’s media mogul, commanding a large fan base who follow his podcast, X account, and broadcasting roles at NBC Sports or Amazon Prime.
Besides comparing with his legendary father, Dale Jr also made another connection with Carson Hocevar. That pertains to his superior racing skills.
Drawing out as much power as possible
After wrecking Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Carson Hocevar was still unfazed. He could see his goal clearly in front of him, as he charged to the front row, toppled race contender Denny Hamlin, and finished runner-up. This brilliance has reflected in Hocevar’s racing since 2023, when he subbed for Cup Series drivers. In the 2023 World Wide Technology Raceway race, Kyle Busch won his 63rd Cup victory. But behind the two-time champion’s success story lay another brewing success story. Wheeling the No. 7 Spire as a sub for Corey LaJoie, Carson Hocevar started 26th and gained 10 spots with an impressive drive through the field before a brake rotor failure on Lap 90 knocked him out of the race.
That run was enough to leave Dale Earnhardt Jr among other veterans gaping in admiration. The veteran reflected on that experience recently: “When he got in this car at St. Louis, that Spire car was 25th to 30th…I think he was running 16th when the brake failed…I’m sitting there going, ‘Holy s— man, he’s improved this car by at least 10 positions…I think that he does race above the potential of the car all the time. There are very few drivers in the entire history of the sport that do that. The really great drivers run a car that can run second, and they run them second…There are some elite…that can make that car much better than it was capable of running.”
Clearly, Carson Hocevar has left deep marks in every NASCAR veteran’s mind. With the 2025 Cup Series season progressing, let us see what other spicy story he churns out next.
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