Carson Hocevar has been facing a lot of criticism from drivers and teams across the NASCAR garage. Several critics have also asked the driver to change his approach towards racing, but the NASCAR legend Kyle Petty feels differently. 

Hocevar's racing style has been under immense scrutiny after the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan. On Lap 84, the No. 77 driver tried to make a move on John Hunter Nemechek, which did not stick, and he ended up colliding with Nemechek, who further hit Ty Gibbs. This resulted in a chain reaction, causing a nine-car pile-up.

While discussing the incident on the show NASCAR Inside the Race with Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty, the broadcaster was questioned whether Hocevar should be concerned about the garage's perception of him.  

“I don't know a single great driver. I don't know a single one that laid in bed at night and said, “Man, I hate that happened. I should text this guy and tell him I'm sorry I ran into him.” No! Everybody that says Carson needs to change is getting beaten by Carson. There's a lot of teams in that garage area that would give everything to have Hocevar driving their car," Petty said. 

Hocevar's aggressive race style has caused a divide in the garage. While some, like Petty and Dale Jr., voiced their support for the driver's racing style, drivers like Austin Dillon, who was taken out of the race, have expressed their frustration toward the driver post-race.

23XI driver Bubba Wallace has also spoken publicly about advising the young driver against his race antics. Despite the growing backlash from the garage, the No. 77 driver refuses to take responsibility for the nine-car melee. 

Carson Hocevar Holds Ground Despite Growing Backlash From the NASCAR Garage

The No. 77 driver, often dubbed as the ‘Hurricane,’ showed why he is given the nickname after he became the catalyst for the big one in the race. This incident painted him in a negative light amongst his competitors. 

While talking to the media after reviewing the footage, Hocevar stood his ground as he said, “It caught me off guard that they stacked up. I kind of gave a little bit of space, but they just stacked up good. So, I don’t know why they did.”

Up until that incident, Hocevar had a decent run at his home race. He stayed in the top positions in the first half of the race. 

Despite being involved in the crash, Hocevar managed to finish the race in the top five. He currently stands in 7th place in the driver's championship. 

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Ankita Yadav