Kyle Busch has called Carson Hocevar a “weapon” and a “douchebag” on the radio. Fans have watched them swap paint and trade words when racing against each other. The assumption naturally comes down to the fact that these two cannot stand each other. But after a recent win in the Truck Series, Hocevar sat down for a post-race media session, and, safe to say, he painted a very different picture of their relationship.

“We’re one for one on moves we don’t like”: Carson on His Relationship with Kyle Busch

In a candid exchange with journalist Matt Weaver, Hocevar was asked about his relationship with Busch. His answer was honest, measured, and oddly warm. “Ah, it’s been fine,” Hocevar said. “He has that moment in Late Models when I put him in the fence that he doesn’t like, and I have Richmond 2008 as a Junior fan, so we’re one for one on moves we don’t like from each other.”

Looking at the Richmond reference, it goes back to May 3, 2008. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading the race with three laps to go. This was supposed to be his first win in two years. At that moment, Busch got loose and slid into Junior’s quarter panel. Therefore, Dale spun out and finished 15th. Clint Bowyer won that race. The incident was so explosive that Busch actually needed a police escort to leave the track.

The other one that Hocevar talked about was around 2016. Busch was racing Super Late Models at Kalamazoo Speedway, which is also one of Hocevar’s home tracks. A 13- or 14-year-old Hocevar pulled alongside him, sideswiped him, and then sent him straight into the front-stretch fence. Busch was stunned. Hocevar never apologized or reached out—and that became the real sore spot.

Despite all of that, Hocevar stands very clear with his feelings. “I have all the respect for him on how good he is,” he said. “I just enjoy racing with him a lot. We were joking around pre-race.”

The two have also worked together. They were part-time teammates at Spire Motorsports when racing in the Truck Series. After finishing one and two in Atlanta in early 2026, Hocevar joked they “should have swapped,” since Busch already has “a thousand” wins. That is not the behavior of two drivers who genuinely despise each other.

However, the point of view fans take is also understandable, since Busch has built a reputation for being “Rowdy” long before Hocevar even came along.

The Reputation That Precedes Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch’s “Rowdy” persona has never been subtle. He spent years collecting moments that kept fans either furious or entertained, sometimes both.

Way back in 2011, in Texas, Busch intentionally hooked Ron Hornaday Jr. into the wall while the caution flag was out. Hornaday was in championship contention at that time, so NASCAR parked Busch for the rest of the weekend. He was also fined $50,000, and his primary sponsor, M&M’s, removed its branding from his car.

Then, in 2017, at Las Vegas, Joey Logano spun him on the final lap. Busch marched straight to Logano’s car and threw a punch. The crew swarmed him, and Busch had to walk away bloodied, telling reporters, “He’s going to get it.”

Even after the Richmond incident in 2008, he leaned into it. Fans booed. He bowed. Looking at all of this, it can be deduced that this is the version of Busch that fans carry with them. So when Busch, in a statement, labeled Hocevar a “weapon” who makes the same bad move without consequence, the narrative slightly shifted. It put Hocevar in the position that Kyle Busch had been in, and Kyle came out looking like the victim.

However, Hocevar has pushed back on that framing. He has pointed out that Busch intentionally hooked him at Texas in 2024, even though the cameras missed it. “Karma worked out,” Hocevar remarked, noting Busch’s season struggled afterward.

Safe to say that the relationship is messy, competitive, and has some real history behind it. But as Hocevar put it, “Most relationships are.” Now, looking forward to the Würth 400 on May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway, Hocevar will be starting on pole, and Busch will start sixth. Whatever their past, the next chapter is already lined up for the two drivers.