Controlling the tire wear is in the driver’s hands. But what can one do when there’s a sudden blow out? How does one tackle that bad luck? For Carson Hocevar, that question becomes too important in NASCAR right now, where his bad luck just refuses to calm down. This time, the reason was Goodyear.

Carson Hocevar lets out his frustration

In a recent social media post, Hocevar detailed his frustration and revealed how his day at Darlington went in the Truck Series. Explaining his ordeal, the Spire driver, who drove the #7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the same team, wrote,

“Show up. kick *ss. blow a tire. has happened so many times. still had fun in the truck though. drove through the field at the start of stage 3 to win. thanks @SpireMotorsport”

Hocevar’s reaction against Goodyear tires comes after the #77 driver suffered yet another tire blowout, but this time at Darlington. Despite having a formidable run and winning pace, Hocevar #7 Truck’s right front tire blew, following which he crashed into the barrier.

Just before his crash, Hocevar was leading the race and was looking strong for a victory, but it was all undone after Goodyear’s tire failed to withstand the pressure. Questioning his drive, a fan wrote in the comment section:

“It’s not bad luck when you burn up your stuff.”

Putting more emphasis on how it was purely bad luck, and not his drive, which cost him the race, Carson Hocevar replied:

“It had nothing to do with tire wear.”

Notably, Hocevar is not the first driver to suffer from a blown tire, as there are examples aplenty. Besides this, several drivers questioned the quality of Goodyear tires and their ability to withstand pressure for long.

One such driver was Tony Stewart, who ferociously called out the tire manufacturers back in 2008. Sharing his experience, Stewart said at the time, “The most pathetic racing tire I’ve ever been on.”

Stewart’s feedback came after he suffered tire issues, and blasted them on tire design and inconsistency. Also, he put down the alternatives such as Firestone or Hoosier.

Coming into 2009, Stewart reversed his stance on Goodyear tires and acknowledged the efforts the manufacturer made to rectify. Fast forward to 2026, Carson Hocevar is perhaps facing the same issue, but he has something else to clear out as well.

Carson Hocevar does not want to be Dale Earnhardt

Carson Hocevar has made it clear that he does not want to be like the late Dale Earnhardt, one of the best all-time NASCAR drivers. Sharing his thoughts on the comparison, the Spire Motorsports driver said:

“I don’t really love the comparisons of what they turn into,” Hocevar said of any similarities to Earnhardt. “It started by just kind of not apologizing after running into people, basically, and just being really, really aggressive, to turning into kind of the ‘I’m as good as him’. I was like, I don’t know where that came from.”

Following this, he explained why he didn’t want the comparison to go on, and wants to be himself. Renowned names like Richard Petty compared him to Earnhardt, which came to the notice of the #77 driver.

“So, yeah, I just plan on driving. I’m just hoping I’m fast enough or we’re good enough that we can actually be up front and be relevant, especially with that scheme. But, yeah, I’m just me. I’ve been saying it for a long time. I like just being me. It’s a lot easier that way for my sake. I don’t like to have to be anybody I’m not,” he further added.

Fans and experts compare Carson Hocevar with Dale Earnhardt for multiple reasons, such as his aggressive driving style and unapologetic behavior. However, Hocevar himself now came out to clarify that he wants to remain as Carson Hocevar, not anybody else.