If you have been keeping up with NASCAR lately, then you must know that Carson Hocevar is the name on everyone’s lips. From late-race contact to fearless three-wide dives, the 23-year-old has made himself impossible to ignore, testing the patience of veterans while keeping his No. 77 in the thick of the fight. But as criticism grows louder and rivals question whether he’ll rein it in, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is stepping in with a blunt reality check about what the garage should expect next, and his message is clear.

“This is who he is, man. This cat’s different… I just don’t think he has the ability to have remorse or listen. I mean, I think he does understand right from wrong. I think he does know when he makes a mistake or he doesn’t do something just right… We know that he has common sense, but I don’t know that he’s going to take a ton of advice from his competitors. He might take advice from somewhere else,” Junior said on the DJD podcast.

While some veterans have openly criticized the 23-year-old’s combative on-track style, most recently on February 23 after he rattled Christopher Bell and Joey Logano with forceful moves during the EchoPark Speedway race, Junior does not expect the Michigan native to suddenly dial it back.

At the 2025 embed Health 400, he drove himself into the lead lap in pursuit of a maiden Cup Series victory, ultimately finishing second—but not without drawing the ire of competitors such as Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain after contact that spun Blaney and altered the race’s outcome. Many saw it as calculated, with a borderline overzealous effort to win. But that is just Hocevar for you.

The same fire has produced results, even if the trophy has eluded him so far. Hocevar’s aggression has helped the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet compete consistently near the front, and he’s been able to leverage that tenacity into top-level finishes, including a strong P4 at Atlanta this year and high points placement early in the season, while also shaking up Christopher Bell’s run at the start of the overtime at the event last Sunday.

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However, what keeps the controversy alive isn’t just the controversy itself, but the balance between conflict and charisma he brings to the Cup garage.

Critics, most notably Denny Hamlin, have openly lambasted Hocevar’s tactics, suggesting fierce driving should be tempered with strategic discipline.

“Well, there’s a difference. And certainly feel like there are better decisions that could be made, but we’re talking about the same thing we’ve been talking about for a year and a half. I don’t. I almost hate that we’re bringing more attention to it because it’s just I think he likes that,” he said.

Yet, the 23-year-old’s style is an intentional, calculated, and necessary part of how he races, even if that means rubbing peers the wrong way or making decisions that cost wins in the heat of the moment. Junior’s warning is not a dismissal but a reality check on the young ace.

Carson Hocevar refuses to put out the fire while heading to COTA

Last weekend may have painted a very different picture of Hocevar, but with the focus now shifting to the Circuit of The Americas, he is aiming to keep the momentum rolling without triggering the kind of flashpoint that follows him from track to track.

Road and street courses have not traditionally been his strongest suit, with an average finish hovering in the low 20s across those layouts. COTA, in particular, has been a learning curve.

In two appearances at the Austin circuit, the No. 77 driver has yet to break into the top 13, posting a 22nd-place finish in 2024 and compiling a 17.5 average finish at the venue. This weekend, however, represents a chance to rewrite that script and translate improved speed into meaningful points.

“Our guys on the No. 77 team have done a great job this year building us fast Camaros, and I don’t see that changing this week. Of all the road courses, this is definitely the one that has been the most challenging for me,” he said. “We always qualify well on road courses. The goal for Sunday is to keep it on the asphalt and not make mistakes. If we can keep it clean, we’ll maximize our day and come out of the weekend with a solid points day.”

When Hocevar talks about avoiding mistakes, it carries extra weight given the scrutiny following Atlanta, where his overtime move drew criticism from veterans.

Whether that means dialing back the aggression or simply choosing his battles more carefully remains to be seen. What is certain is that Hocevar has never raced timidly, and the challenge at COTA may not be about softening his edge but about sharpening it just enough to stay out of trouble while still fighting with the same unapologetic intensity when the moment demands it.