Carson Hocevar is one of those drivers who splits opinions right down the middle. Off the track, he comes across as personable, even likable. But once he sits in the NextGen car, he could be a nightmare for some of his competitors. And, we just saw that last weekend at Iowa Speedway, where he found himself on Zane Smith’s bad side.

So, heading into Watkins Glen, many fans were expecting some serious fireworks between the two. Instead, things took an unexpected turn.

“I personally can’t go have a conversation with him without getting a $75,000 fine,” Zane Smith told NASCAR.com before the race. “Yeah, he’s just a dumb [expletive]. That’s just how it is.” And, the fine Smith was referring to would be Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s $75,000 penalty after throwing a punch at Kyle Busch following the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race. So, was Smith ready to follow that playbook? Well, not quite.

Late in the race at The Glen, Hocevar actually pulled aside exiting Turn 5 and let Smith slip past him for 17th. Then, after the checkered flag, what NASCAR saw was unexpected. Hocevar walked over to Smith’s car on pit road, leaned in, and said, “Hey, I know that doesn’t make up for it, but you can expect that in the next couple weeks, OK?” That’s not exactly the Hocevar most people are used to seeing, and even Denny Hamlin admitted he was surprised.

“And [Hocevar] said, ‘Hey I know that doesn’t make up for it, but you can expect that in the next couple of weeks.’ This is where we have to recognise that he’s saying what he’s saying publicly. Then he’s doing something else privately. He’s clearly acknowledging that he messed up with Zane at Iowa. Unintentionally wrecked him at Iowa, and so he’s trying to pay back favors on the race track to make good of that,” Denny Hamlin said, as he appreciated Hocevar’s good intent. 

For those who don’t know, at Iowa, while Hocevar was trying to make his way through the grid, he lost control of his car to Smith’s left as they entered Turn 1, washing up the banking and directly into Smith’s left rear. As a result, Smith spun and backed hard into the SAFER barrier, later seemingly expressing his frustration by taking an apparent swipe of his own at Hocevar’s car. And, naturally, everyone expected to see a revenge case. But there was none, rather harmony.

Co-host Jared Allen also noted that Hocevar’s declaration came from Zane Smith’s in-car audio. In other words, Hocevar’s intentions were genuine and not just a PR exercise to make the driver look good for the fans.

“Right, wanting to keep the public persona one way and then obviously trying to do the right thing on the race track. I have no issues with. If he chooses to sit right in front of the guy that he wrecked last week, more than likely, you’re going to get sent. Probably a good idea on his part to get out of the way, and should, like he said, over the next few weeks,” agreed Hamlin.

While that’ll be a new narrative around NASCAR’s NextGen Intimidator, it’d be good to see what Hocevar has to say on this new observation of him.

“I feel guilty”: Hocevar posts on social media

Following a wreck-filled NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Watkins Glen, where Corey Heim dominated the Mission 176 for his sixth win of the season and triple-overtime restarts turned the 2.45-mile road course into a demolition derby, Hocevar was watching from the sidelines. And apparently, it stirred something in him.

“I am currently watching all these wrecks. so I apologize. I feel guilty by association. will do better moving forward,” wrote Carson Hocevar.

And, let’s just accept, no one saw it coming, especially the no. of intentional wrecks Hocevar’s been involved in this season, ranging from his dust-up with Zane Smith at Iowa, to spinning Ty Gibbs at Nashville, to tangles earlier in the year at Phoenix and Bristol. Maybe his promise to “do better” was genuine, as his reaction at The Glen suggests he’s at least thinking about change. It’s too early to call, but one thing’s certain: veterans are starting to notice the effort.