Carson Hocevar entered the Dollar Tree 301 looking to bounce back. He had finished in 31st and 37th in Iowa and Richmond in the previous two races. His Chase spot was not under threat heading into New Hampshire, but before it began, he had to halt this worrying slump. Sadly, things didn’t improve much, and he finished 19th, while his on-track clash with Connor Zilisch also drew plenty of attention. For Denny Hamlin, however, the bigger issue was Hocevar’s overall performance.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver did not hold back about the controversial Hocevar on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast.

“It just was not a very good CH [Carson Hocevar] day, that’s for sure. Just not the best work. The best thing that’s come out of that camp in a month has been his girl’s tutorial on makeup and racing,” Hamlin said about the Spire Motorsports star.

Hamlin’s jab was particularly pointed. Hocevar has remained in the spotlight as always. He’s big on confidence and continues to find himself involved in on-track incidents with others. But at the moment, the results don’t back up the talk. Hamlin, as a result, poked fun at him by bringing his rumored girlfriend Tabitha Swatosh into the conversation.

Swatosh recently shared a TikTok video in which she used her makeup routine to explain the rules of NASCAR. Highlighting Hocevar’s struggles of late, Hamlin bluntly declared that Swatosh’s video has been the most positive thing surrounding Hocevar in the last month or so.

Hocevar, after a strong start to the campaign and his first Cup Series win in May at Talladega, sat fifth in the standings after Indianapolis in July, putting him in an excellent position heading into the Chase. He was 158 points above the cutline. Since then, however, his results have gone sharply in the wrong direction.

Hocevar suffered mechanical and engine-related problems at both Iowa and Richmond over the last month, which took a hit on his position in the Cup Series standings. The fact that drivers who were once behind him started performing at a high level didn’t help either. At New Hampshire, Hocevar looked like he was going to put an end to his bad run of form.

Alas, even before the race started, he spun. While that may have simply been him trying to test the harsh conditions, he spun twice more during the race. Once after making contact with Zilisch and once entirely on his own, which put him a lap down as he limped home to finish 19th.

The frustrating part for him was that he had actually been looking good, finishing Stage 1 in third position. It’s a day Hocevar will likely look back on as a missed opportunity. He has clinched a spot for the Chase, but is 11th in the standings heading into the final regular season race of the season. A big fall-off.

Hamlin clearly saw Swatosh’s viral content as an easy target while criticizing Hocevar’s recent form. It was perhaps a dig at him for being distracted by his relationship, which has been under the spotlight for several months now.

Why Carson Hocevar and Tabitha Swatosh became a talking point

While the two have been seen together publicly, neither has officially confirmed that they are dating, leaving much of the speculation to social media.

Swatosh is a 25-year-old influencer and former beauty pageant winner. She has built a pretty big following across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, while Snapchat has reportedly been her preferred platform. Her content covers lifestyle, beauty and personal moments, making her a familiar face beyond the NASCAR community.

Her connection to Hocevar has become a talking point largely because the pair have appeared together at several public events. They were photographed together at the TIME100 Sports Gala, where an intimate moment between them subsequently attracted attention online. Swatosh was also spotted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year, further fueling speculation that the two share a close relationship.

The interest surrounding Hocevar’s personal life is hardly surprising. The Spire Motorsports driver has developed a growing profile since establishing himself in the Cup Series, while Swatosh already has a significant audience of her own.

Hocevar has also previously been open about his celebrity crush on singer Sabrina Carpenter, adding another layer to the attention surrounding his dating life. However, there has been no public confirmation connecting Carpenter to Hocevar romantically.

Hamlin’s comment was clearly intended as a joke at Hocevar’s expense. But it also shows how the driver’s personal life has started receiving attention alongside his racing career. And with Hocevar’s recent results putting his Chase position under increasing pressure, the scrutiny is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.