Carson Hocevar, who was just a rookie one year ago, has now taken the role of being the polarizing figure in the NASCAR Cup Series garage. He is yet to reveal his true personality with the mic in his hand like Denny Hamlin, but make no mistake, he doesn’t mind ruffling a few feathers on the track with his racing. That is exactly what happened at Atlanta early in the season, where he registered his best finish (P2), but that came at the cost of his rivals, who all lined up to have a chat with him after the race.

But, despite the backlash, he didn’t let his foot off the throttle and ignited fuel to the fire with his statement on social media. “I finished second. We’re here to win races, not be a boy band and love each other and play on the playground together.” The racing community liked this stance of defiance, especially in an era of racing where drivers lack personality. Hocevar was back to being himself at Texas Motor Speedway, and this time around, Ryan Preece found himself on the receiving end of his intimidating style of racing.

The RFK Racing driver crashed out of the race in a wreck that was sparked by the Spire Motorsports driver. And he certainly didn’t mince words, calling him out, “Just got ran into the fence by somebody that has no respect for his equipment or anybody else’s equipment, or anybody else who is out there.” Now, given how Hocevar has handled previous incidents, it was hard to see him own up to his mistake. Yet surprisingly, he did just that before the Kansas race.

Apparently, both Hocervar and Preece had a chat after the race that ended on a good note. “I just explained that I wasn’t trying to put him in a bad spot and be aggressive. I tried to unwind the wheel and track up to the wall and I didn’t expect a car to be there. That’s on me for not predicting or expecting it. Expectations being different and the grip level being a different thing. I think he was very understanding of it. Obviously we both wrecked and it wasn’t good for either of us. We’re both around the same point situation.”

Preece is a veteran of the sport, having run multiple seasons in a full-time capacity, and seeing the progress Hocevar has made in a short span, he expects him to use his skill well. The RFK Racing driver also explained how he would’ve dealt with the situation differently if he drove the No. 77 Chevy. “I tried to give him a different perspective of what I would have done if I was in his situation. You know, it’s up to him to choose whether he’s going to put himself and myself or another racer in those type of positions. And I think with the intentions and him coming over, hopefully, that’s the case. And I hope moving forward, you don’t hear him in controversy.”

The Spire Motorsports driver has managed to redeem himself

Amid the lows of Texas, he went on to triumph in the Truck race at Kansas. The best part was that he beat fellow Cup Series driver William Byron and Truck Series regular Corey Heim. Though it had to be said that that win was not without controversy, because of a last-lap incident. While trying to defend from Layne Riggs, the two collided and they both brushed the wall. Although Layne Riggs was disqualified after the post-race inspection, Hocevar found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons for flipping off his rival after the finish.

In defence, Hocevar stated, “It was somewhat friendly, right? It was just kind…yeah, I don’t remember what I really did to be honest. No, if anything, I just wanted to remind him, really, of just like, hey, I still won, I guess. I don’t know. But at the end of the day, he did a really good job. He’s super, super talented. That group built a really fast truck. I remember watching Zane [Smith] go on to win against us in that truck. It’s all harm, no foul, and I’m sure my bird is real small to just hit and contact. So, it’s all friendly, and when I see him, I’m sure we’ll laugh about it.”

Well, this was a subtle reminder to everyone who thought that Carson Hocevar had somewhat controlled his antics on the racetracks. Although he has settled his differences with Preece, it won’t be a surprise if he leaves another driver in the wake of his unapologetic style of racing.