Carson Hocevar has emerged as one of NASCAR’s most talked-about 22-year-old racers, often not for the wins but for on-track and off-track incidents that have drawn unnecessary attention. Known throughout the garage for aggressive moves dating back to his Craftsman Truck days, Hocevar has already tangled on track with rivals like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. twice in recent weeks, including their latest run-in during the trip to Mexico City. Beyond those incidents, the Spire Motorsports driver even orchestrated a pit-road mind game at Pocono, trapping Brad Keselowski.

Yet his race results remain not so very impressive; two runner-up finishes this season at Atlanta and Nashville are his career highs in the Cup Series. Kevin Harvick was more or less the same when he started his career at RCR. Who can forget the 2003 Martinsville dustup between him and Ricky Rudd? He even parked his race car right next to Rudd in the pit road and climbed on the roof to express his discontent after being wrecked.

However, that hot-headed nature changed for good over time, and he was able to maximize his racing potential. Now, he sees Hocevar pulling off similar antics, and it’s just one incident after another, and he’s worried that these off-track antics might divert him from his true goals.

Harvick urges Hocevar to clear the outside noise and focus on racing

Kevin Harvick framed his message around Hocevar’s unquestionable car control and the pitfalls beyond it, “He has this unbelievable skill that he’s extremely talented and can do everything that it takes inside of that race car. It’s going to be the things outside of the race car that, if he doesn’t get those things under control, they’ll continue to haunt him.” Noting Hocevar’s unbelievable car control in the Pocono race when his car’s tail touches the wall and goes sideways on lap no. 19, earning praise from Dale Jr., too. But Harvick also noted Hocevar’s aggression in Atlanta run, where his runner-up finish after bold moves ruffled veteran drivers, and his Mexico City witch livestream misstep, calling the city a sh–hole.

Carson Hocevar has the talent to be a champion, but @KevinHarvick says he has to get all of the outside distractions under control. pic.twitter.com/iSl1OoPjir

— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) June 24, 2025

“If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn’t such a sh—hole, if the track limits were a little better enforced…” which drew widespread condemnation and a $50,000 fine donated to relief organizations. As Harvick points out, on-track prowess cannot offset repeated off-track distractions or reputation hits. He might be the star driver, the hot shot flexing his race craft on weekends, but this isn’t a solo ride by any means.

Harvick stressed the Cup Series’ broader demands. “He has the ability to be a champion, pure ability, but cup racing’s pure ability is not all that goes with it. There are politics. There are sponsors, there are all these things that go, I call it the Circle of Life. If you don’t have your circle of life in balance, you’re not winning cup races.” Hocevar’s recent incidents, his feigned pit-road trap at Pocono, and his Mexico comments illustrate this imbalance.

Sponsors and teams weigh a driver’s media footprint. Hocevar’s $50,000 penalty underscores that comments off track directly affect partnerships and team morale. Although he made a public apology regarding his Mexico remarks, these are the things Harvick is suggesting a driver should have avoided. “In Cup, they’re going to expose it until it breaks you or you stop.” Hocevar’s two runner-up finishes confirm speed potential, but each aggressive maneuver and off-track remark fuels media cycles.

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Hocevar’s electrifying Pocono restart

Carson Hocevar climbed from 19th to 5th in just two laps after the Lap 61 restart at Pocono Raceway, in a move that fans hailed as “one of the best restarts I’ve ever seen.” The restart came after Bubba Wallace’s brake failure brought out a caution and reshuffled the field. Hocevar’s in-car footage, widely shared on social media, showcased his exceptional throttle modulation, drafting awareness, and aggression as he carved through the pack.

Despite the spectacular charge, Hocevar ultimately finished 18th, with some speculation among fans that a restart violation may have played a role, though NASCAR has not issued any public penalty notice for a restart infraction. NASCAR’s rules dictate that the race leader must initiate the restart within the designated restart zone, and drivers are not permitted to pass before the green flag and start/finish line. Violating these procedures typically results in a black flag or relegation to the tail end of the field.

Perhaps, the only big gain he made in Pocono was baiting Brad Keselowski and forcing a penalty out of him. 18th place finish didn’t help his bid to qualify for the playoffs, right now he needs a win. That will only come if he is able to curb the outside noise and focus on his job on the racetrack.