“He has zero idea of where to bump somebody, where not to.” That was 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney’s blunt take on Carson Hocevar after a run-in at Atlanta in the second race of the season. But that wasn’t an isolated incident. From tangling with veterans like Kyle Busch to getting into it multiple times with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. this season, Hocevar has bulldozed his way into the spotlight, one feud at a time.
At just 22, he’s been called NASCAR’s closest thing to ‘The Intimidator,’ by Dale Earnhardt Jr., nonetheless, a nickname loaded with legacy and pressure, given its unshakeable ties to the late, great Dale Earnhardt. But for someone becoming NASCAR’s newest magnet for drama, Carson lives like a lone wolf. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. sat him down for his latest podcast and asked who from the Cup grid he hangs out with, Hocevar’s answer had him shocked.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. cannot believe Hocevar
Carson Hocevar has rapidly built a reputation for driving harder than most and making enemies along the way. In his sophomore Cup season, the 22-year-old has twice sparked major on-track incidents, first in Nashville, when he dive bombed Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and then in Chicago, where his wall-rattling wreck created a seven-car pileup and triggered Austin Dillon’s radio rant, “Carson Hocevar is the biggest dumba– in the entire sport.” It’s clear. Hocevar leaves no quarter on the track, and sometimes he burns the bridges behind them.
On the Dale Jr. Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Hocevar who he is pally with from the grid. The answer was stark. The No. 77 driver said, “Just a bunch of my iRacing buddies. Not anyone [in the industry].” Hocevar’s journey into NASCAR started with iRacing, and despite the Cup Series Rookie of the Year fame and a near Truck Series Championship in 2023, he still claims to have no friends on the grid.
Dale Jr. was persistent and went on to clarify if he had any friends from any of the three series. Junior asked, “There’s not one guy that races Truck, Xfinity or Cup that you would call a friend?” Hocevar reiterated the blunt truth. He said, “Nope. Not one.” The only exception? One random get-together with Shane van Gisbergen and Bubba Wallace. The Spire Motorsports driver went on to recall, “I’ve only hung out one time with any other driver. It was SVG and Bubba at his property. One time. We don’t—we don’t like ‘hangout.’ Like, it was just one time.”
Then Dale Junior asked him if it was an intentional thing, to which Hocevar replied, “I mean it’s not like intentional or unintentional. It’s just how it worked out, you know? Like, I don’t go out. I don’t drink.” Dale Jr. then replied with a wry smile, “You’re incapable of making friends with people you race against?” To which Hocevar said, “I guess. I just want to hang out with my crew guys.” Well, while Hocevar admits to not having any solid friendships, he has had a fellow Cup driver mentor him in the past, and also has lots of support from retired veterans.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain had taken on a mentorship role when Hocevar races for Chastain’s former Truck team, Niece Motorsports, defending criticism and praising his raw talent. NASCAR veterans like Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and even Mark Martin have reportedly reached out to the 22-year-old with words of encouragement, especially after controversial moments like aggressive runs. Much of Carson’s core support system seems to come not from fellow racers but from within his team or from veterans.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked if there was anyone Carson just acknowledged or nodded a ‘hi’ to on the grid, Carson responded, saying, “F–, I don’t know. Whoever I didn’t run into last week. Like this week, I got on the podium, and it was Bowman who made a joke about how I was getting on the slow boat ‘cause they were all torn up and starting in the back, and I was qualifying third. I just went to the float that had the least amount of drivers on it and was just like, ‘Alright, hi.’”
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson and Hocevar’s longtime agent, Phil Smalley, are credited with keeping the young driver grounded while helping him navigate NASCAR’s demanding culture. In 2024, after Hocevar was fined for wrecking Harrison Burton under caution at Nashville, Ross Chastain noted that Carson has “a good group of people here at the track, so he doesn’t need me. He’s got Jeff Dickerson, and he’s great.”
While the Michigan native insists he prefers to hang out with his iRacing crew, he went on to reveal, “Maybe Zane [Smith] in Trucks, maybe. But he was going to Spire. Yeah… I’ve never hung out with a driver my whole time here. Yeah. I’ve never like hung out and just like, other than that one time, you know, like I don’t go to the intro stage and go, ‘What’s up man? How’s the kid?’… I have my buddies that I play video games with on iRacing.”
One thing worth noting here is that Hocevar is still 22. He got into the sport with a bunch of friends, and being in just his 2nd year, he still has them constantly in his life. Hocevar even has a whole fanbase on Twitch that he frequently engages with on livestreams. Maybe once his iRacing buddies part their ways, Carson would start making bonds on the grid? Only time will tell.
Carson reveals his top code word that helps me keep calm
Carson Hocevar recently opened up about a unique emotional control system he uses during races. Speaking on the DJD, Hocevar explains how his spotter, Tyler Green, employs codewords to help them stay levelheaded during high-pressure moments. The goal? To avoid retaliation, reduce radio distractions, and keep his performance razor sharp when emotions are running high.
The system took shape after Carson noticed he was letting his frustrations bleed into radio communications, something that could easily disrupt decision-making during critical laps. To break that cycle, the No. 77 team introduced a playful but effective code word to snap him out of emotional spirals. The 22-year-old says, “We have code words, just like when they think I’m like going to get ready to see red… the code word was ‘bubble goggles’ because they were going to make me wear these f—- bubble goggles and look like an [expletive] on the way home… if I was mouthing off to them.”
Over time, the system matured into something more strategic. Certain phrases now indicate when Carson might be on the verge of taking unnecessary risks, like making an overly aggressive move after contact or frustration. That is when Green steps in with a subtle verbal check. Hocevar added, “Anytime you hear Superman, that’s when I’m getting ready to tee somebody up or just go drive bonsai this thing four wide or six wide because I’m just, you know, just got used up or something happened. So Tyler Green will just be like ‘Superman, relax, Superman, I’ll get here, man.’ And um, yeah, so we have a bunch of code words there that just you just kind of trigger for that.”
In a sport where impulse can lead to crashes or penalties, Carson’s mental reset strategy is proving to be a valuable tool. Whether it’s at high-stakes events like Daytona during the chaotic closing laps on the street course, those quirky phrases may be the secret weapon helping him keep cool and keep climbing. This sit-down interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr. has given fans a lot to learn about young Carson Hocevar. What do you think of his personality? Let us know in the comments!
The post Dale Earnhardt Jr. Left Speechless as Carson Hocevar Admits to Having Zero Friends in NASCAR Garage appeared first on EssentiallySports.
