Carson Hocevar’s headline-grabbing personality has as much to do with his rise as his impressive driving. The 2024 Rookie of the Year is now one of the fastest-growing stars in the sport in terms of popularity, with fans getting a glimpse of the type of person he is. On the track, he shows shades of Dale Earnhardt with his fearless approach, while off it, he prefers to keep to himself, something he admitted during a podcast with the Intimidator’s son. And while that may appear ‘cool’ to some, a NASCAR veteran has stepped in to warn him that this “I love being alone” approach could ultimately do more harm than good.

Kenny Wallace explains why NASCAR’s greatest drivers never went it alone

“If you feel like the only way you can win is to put yourself in a dark room and not have any friends, that means you’re not strong right here,” Kenny Wallace said on Koffee with Kenny, after hearing how Hocevar complained about Jesse Love and Zilisch’s friendship.

According to the Spire Motorsports driver, the media’s focus on the “friendship” between two Cup Series talents does the sport no favors. He believes NASCAR needs more rivalries to counter the perception that all the drivers are friends and unwilling to do whatever it takes to win on the track.

“They can be friends, but every interview is like, ‘What’s it like racing your best friend? That you go out with every night and do everything with.’ That’s not doing anything to help the sport,” Hocevar had said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, something Wallace does not agree with at all. He believes the best drivers can have close friendships while still competing fiercely on the track, and that those relationships often help them improve.

“Well, maybe you don’t need friends, but Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Dale Senior, Mark Martin, Ernie Irvan, John Andretti, Jeff Burton. What did they all have in common? They were a—— buddies. They were partners. Partners in crime,” the 62-year-old added.

Perhaps no example better illustrates Wallace’s argument than the relationship between Dale Earnhardt and Michael Waltrip. As Wallace pointed out, “You would see Michael Waltrip and Dale Senior on their boat together.”

That friendship serves as a powerful counterpoint to Hocevar’s lone-wolf mentality. Despite being one of NASCAR’s fiercest competitors, Earnhardt formed a deep bond with Waltrip and became one of his biggest supporters during a 462-race winless streak. Earnhardt never stopped believing in Waltrip’s ability and eventually signed him to Dale Earnhardt Inc. for the 2001 season. In race No. 463, his first driving for his friend and mentor, Waltrip won the Daytona 500.

Similarly, Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace spent years trying to beat each other on Sundays, engaging in one of NASCAR’s fiercest rivalries throughout the 1990s. Yet once the helmets came off, they were remarkably close friends. They vacationed together with their wives, exchanged practical jokes, and even discussed setups and racing ideas despite competing for the same trophies.

That reality is particularly relevant because Hocevar is frequently compared to Earnhardt due to his aggressive driving style and willingness to move competitors out of the way. And it’s not just Earnhardt. As Wallace pointed out, the other names on that list (Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Ernie Irvan, John Andretti, and Jeff Burton) were all fierce competitors who spent years battling each other on Sundays while maintaining strong relationships away from the racetrack.

Gordon, for instance, has often spoken about how Earnhardt became a mentor despite being one of his biggest rivals. Off the track, he helped Gordon understand the business side of NASCAR, advising him on merchandising, branding, and protecting his rights.

Ironically, the friendship at the center of this debate is exactly the kind of relationship Wallace believes helps drivers reach another level. Love and Zilisch have built a bond that extends well beyond the racetrack, one that has become increasingly visible as both have climbed NASCAR’s ranks.

Love, who won the O’Reilly Auto Parts Championship last season, replied to Hocevar’s comments on X with a blunt take: “If you’re jealous, just say that.”

Jesse Love and Connor Zilisch’s brotherly bond

Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love are widely regarded as two of NASCAR’s brightest young talents, and their friendship goes back several years. They first met at a go-kart track when Love was part of Toyota’s driver development program. Zilisch, despite being younger, had already been brought in by Toyota as a karting coach.

At first, Love wasn’t exactly excited about taking advice from someone younger than him. That changed once he saw how fast Zilisch was. Over time, the two developed a close friendship built on similar personalities, shared interests, and a healthy respect for each other’s talent. They have vacationed together, hung out away from the racetrack at places like Universal Orlando Resort, and often room together on race weekends.

None of that has stopped them from competing fiercely whenever the green flag drops. Just last year, driving for Richard Childress Racing, Jesse Love overcame early car issues to make the championship-winning pass on Connor Zilisch with 24 laps remaining in an action-packed race that sparked controversy. Love led the rest of the way to earn his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season, and his first Xfinity Series championship.

What happened after the race is exactly the kind of example Wallace was talking about. Despite taking a championship away from one of his closest friends, their friendship remained unaffected. Reflecting on the moment later, Love admitted that he felt torn between celebrating his own achievement and sympathizing with Zilisch.

“As a friend, I couldn’t imagine what was going through Connor’s mind right then. I felt for him even though I was pumped up for myself, but yeah, we got back to the Airbnb the next day. I was like, ‘Are you mad at me?’ He was like, ‘No’. And I was like, ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ He was like, ‘Nope,'” Love explained on the “Bussin with the Boys” podcast.

For Wallace, that story perfectly illustrates why friendship and competition don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Love and Zilisch battled for a championship, one beat the other, and yet neither felt the need to cut the other out of their life because of it.