This past weekend’s Go Bowling At The Glen delivered a mix of high-speed drama and on-track clashes that had everyone talking. Carson Hocevar, the 22-year-old Spire Motorsports driver in his rookie Cup Series season, found himself at the center of several heated moments, but now, as things settle down, the narrative is shifting. Fans who once questioned him are starting to show support.

During qualifying, Hocevar blocked Brad Keselowski’s lap after assuming Keselowski had done the same to him earlier. That led to a heated moment on pit road, with Keselowski rushing over to confront him. It was the kind of tension fans have seen before at Watkins Glen, like the wild 2012 showdown between Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose that ended in one of NASCAR’s most unforgettable finishes.

Adding to the chaos, Hocevar had a run-in with his own teammate, Michael McDowell, on lap 52. McDowell made contact and spun Hocevar while they were battling for position. On the final lap, Hocevar didn’t hold back, he raced McDowell aggressively and gave him a hard bump in return. Meanwhile, Zane Smith, who was still upset over a crash at Iowa caused by Hocevar, got a quiet gesture of respect when Hocevar let him pass cleanly later in the race.

These scraps highlight how positioning at Watkins Glen can swing playoff chances, with the track’s unique layout amplifying every misstep, offering fans a raw look at the pressures of mid-season battles. But amid the dust-ups, questions linger about where Hocevar draws the line.

Journalist Jeff Gluck posted a pithy update about the chaotic race. In a media session after the race, Hocevar addressed the incident head-on. He clarified that he hadn’t spoken to McDowell yet, but said McDowell had suggested they sit down and talk at Richmond. Hocevar added that he believed McDowell either made a mistake or misjudged the situation when he spun him.

Notes from a @CarsonHocevar media session just now:

— Hasn’t spoken to @Mc_Driver yet about their WGI run-in. He said McDowell suggested sitting down this weekend at Richmond to discuss it. Hocevar felt after he got spun by McDowell (“either he made a mistake or misjudged”), it…

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 13, 2025

Meanwhile, McDowell took a calm and measured approach when asked about the run-in. “I’m easygoing, and you all have seen I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. So, I don’t ever get sideways when somebody comes up and says, ‘Hey, I misjudged that, made a mistake.”

This stance comes against a backdrop of Hocevar’s aggressive rookie year, marked by incidents like the Iowa spin that wrecked Zane Smith, which Hocevar insists was accidental, drawing from his Truck Series days where he once crashed hard at Gateway and ended up in the hospital.

Shifting to the Brad Keselowski qualifying spat, Hocevar admitted emotions ran high but flipped the script, saying he was upset first because Keselowski let him out in a bad spot, impeding his lap, so he stayed in line on the cool-down, forcing Keselowski around. As for Zane Smith, Hocevar knew tensions were high post-Iowa, so he yielded without cost to himself, hoping it would mend the damage from that unintentional wreck.

Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. warned, it’s “building to something, and it’s going to be worth watching,” hinting at potential blowback if Hocevar’s style hits the wrong team. With drivers weighing in, fans aren’t staying quiet either; their takes add another layer to the story.

What fans are saying about Carson Hocevar’s Watkins Glen weekend

“Every so often somebody will come along in life and change the game, rewrite the unwritten rules, and all you can do is admire their authenticity and originality…” one fan posted, capturing Hocevar’s bold approach. This rings true given Hocevar’s path from Truck Series standout, where he notched wins but also drew heat for aggressive moves, to Cup rookie stirring debates.

His Iowa incident with Zane Smith, where he lost control and spun Smith into the wall during a caution-filled race, showed that raw edge. Smith called him out harshly, but Hocevar maintained it wasn’t on purpose, much like early-career scraps that shaped drivers like Kurt Busch in his feisty 2000s days.

“Fans waited 10 years for a dude that stirs the pot in the sport. Dude finally arrives, and they can’t stand it and immediately complain. Sorry he’s not copy and paste like 70% of the field,” another chimed in, highlighting Hocevar’s fresh vibe. Hocevar’s Watkins Glen antics, from impeding Keselowski to critiquing the restart zone that caused nine restarts and wall hits in Trucks, stand out in a field often criticized for uniformity.

Recall the 2023 Watkins Glen race, deemed one of the least passing-heavy ever, underscoring how Hocevar’s chaos injects needed excitement, akin to how Shane van Gisbergen shook things up as a rookie with his 2023 Chicago win.

“I don’t think they should try and change Carson. They literally neutered Chastain, and look at him now. Boring.” A fan argued, pointing to risks of toning down talent. Ross Chastain‘s 2022 “Hail Melon” move at Martinsville thrilled everyone, but post-penalty, his aggression dipped, leading to fewer headlines. Hocevar’s spin with McDowell and subsequent door-slam mirror that unfiltered style, and pushing him to conform could dull his 22nd-place points standing edge, built on Truck successes like leading laps before crashes.

“I’d rather watch Hocevar race in 1 race per season than McHamberger McDowell run the entire NASCAR season,” quipped a fan, favoring Hocevar’s spark over routine. McDowell‘s diplomatic post-spin comments, admitting possible mistakes while noting repeated contacts, contrast Hocevar’s fiery radio rant refusing interaction. This teammate feud at Spire echoes 2022’s, when Hocevar was hospitalized after a Gateway crash, showing his all-in commitment that fans crave over steady but less flashy runs.

“Still not sure why Zane Smith is still mad at him. He very clearly never wrecked him at Iowa on purpose,” another defended, questioning the grudge. Smith’s “dumb” label and no-talk stance stem from Iowa’s spin under caution, his fourth straight non-self-inflicted wreck. Yet Hocevar’s Watkins Glen yield as amends, plus his insistence on accident, ties back to their 2024 Spire teammate days, where shared haulers bred familiarity now turned tense.