These new NASCAR drivers grew up playing video games, but Carson Hocevar seems like he’s still holding the controller during the race starts. His aggressive pushing, hard attempts to lead before hitting turn one, and overall driving style reflect that. In fact, this reputation of his has spread across NASCAR’s premier series, as maiden pole-sitter Kaden Honeycutt voiced his concern about starting alongside the 23-year-old.

Kaden Honeycutt on starting beside Cup Series star

“Yeah, definitely at the start. You’ve got a guy next to me. He’s aggressive, but I love Carson a lot. So hopefully we get in front of him.” This is the first pole position for Honeycutt, as mentioned.

Racing at Darlington can be rather tricky, and he is trying to make the most of his pole position. But with Carson Hocevar starting right beside him, it can be rather complicated. He is known for aggressively pushing himself into the lead, and the smallest of bumps can end the race for either of them. Now this would be completely normal for Hocevar, as he would be back on the track for the Cup race, but it would be a wasted opportunity for Honeycutt.

“Just kind of set our own tone and our own pace and rely on the tire and just do what I have to do to keep it underneath me and do what I need to do to keep it underneath me. And do what I need to do to keep this thing out front,” he added.

It’s apparent that he wants to keep the lead and set the pace for the rest of the field. However, even that can be tricky on a short track, especially with Hocevar behind him. Even if Honeycutt tries to control the pace, he is almost guaranteed to get a push from Hocevar, which could make the deal difficult for him.

However, Kaden Honeycutt isn’t a complete amateur, either. He has spent enough time behind the wheel and has had a rather dominating start to the season with two top 10 finishes in three races. His experience, paired with the familiarity of the #11 truck, could help him assert dominance over the entire field, including Hocevar. But he would have to keep an eye out for the 23-year-old at all times.

He has an instinct to push aggressively during races. This became especially clear while racing in Atlanta. In fact, his regular pushing has earned him a comparison with one of NASCAR’s greats. But considering his lack of race wins in the Cup field, Hocevar declines it.

Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving gets him an Intimidator comparison

A few parallels can be drawn comparing Carson Hocevar’s driving style to that of NASCAR’s Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt. The latter was also known for pushing his way to the race lead, quite literally. However, there is a massive difference, which even Hocevar notes:

“I feel like we’ve probably should have won a race by now. There are a lot of things that have taken us out of contention for those. But I’m like, ‘Okay, like, you know, just because I now and again run into people and now I’m running a black car here and there.’ Like, I don’t really see it.”

While Earnhardt managed to win seven Cup Series championships, Hocevar still hasn’t achieved the rather basic milestone of a single race win, and several reasons could be attributed to it. Of course, Spire Motorsports’ overall performance on the field isn’t very impressive. But there have been moments when Hocevar pushed a little too hard, ending the race for him and others around him. Even Ryan Blaney pointed this out earlier, speaking about his aggressive racing style.

It is exactly this issue that Kaden Honeycutt spoke about during the race start. Understandably, he is aiming for his first Truck Series race win, but it could all be hampered with one aggressive push at the start. So, he will have to be extra cautious while pushing just enough to maintain the lead.