Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not go ballistic over Carson Hocevar’s reckless Ambetter Health 400 driving, nor did he take his side. Instead, he offered some measure of criticism.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares Thoughts on Carson Hocevar’s Atlanta Finish
Love him or hate him, Carson Hocevar ain't going nowhere. 🙅♂️
Watch the full @DaleJr episode here: https://t.co/7y2lu1rDyc pic.twitter.com/paRVZSzEFu
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 26, 2025
Hocevar pushed the limits at Atlanta Motor Speedway and prompted furious reactions from many of his peers. At the end of Stage 1, Kyle Busch had to suddenly slow down to prevent a crash, as Hocevar roughed his way through. Needless to say, Busch was less than impressed by Hocevar’s driving.
As the race progressed, Ryan Blaney also fell prey to Hocevar’s aggressive tactics. A mistimed bump sent Blaney skidding along the apron.
Yet, the most controversial moment came late in the race when Hocevar forced a three-wide move. His antics derailed his Chevrolet teammate Ross Chastain’s shot at victory by forcing Chastain to give up ground and ultimately finish eighth.
Earnhardt talked about Hocevar’s menacing driving style on his podcast, “The Dale Jr. Download.” The ex-NASCAR star did not deny Hocevar’s talent but said that the 22-year-old is burdened by his reputation. Earnhardt shed light on Hocevar’s intense driving philosophy and explained that guidance from veterans could help him refine his style.
“He’s not gonna get the grace that maybe some other drivers might get in this scenario,” Earnhardt said. “I’m not on the racetrack, and I’m sure if I was in Kyle Busch’s car and saw what Kyle Busch saw, I would probably have the same frustration,” he continued.
“But as a viewer and a fan, I just see a guy trying to do everything he can to win. Yeah, he knocked the hell out of some people. He’s changing lanes and dooring people, and he’s wild. He’s young, he’s fast, he’s gonna be here. He’s gonna stick around.
“The veterans need to get him in the headlock in the garage and say, ‘Look man, you’re great,’ ‘You got talent,’ ‘You need to clean this s*** up,’ you know. He does want his peers to respect him. We all want that.”
Following the race, Hocevar and Chastain engaged in a heated discussion. Meanwhile, a frustrated Blaney expressed his displeasure by dooring Hocevar on the cool-down lap before confronting him.
When asked about the post-race exchanges, Hocevar declined to comment. He also reflected on his late-race move and apologized to Hendrick Motorsports, admitting he had misjudged the situation. Though he notched his best-ever Cup Series result, Hocevar’s list of allies in the garage seemed to shrink.
