Carson Hocevar responds to being the ‘new Intimidator,’ comparison to Dale Earnhardt Sr.

A talented, young driver making headlines for rough driving the year after winning Rookie of the Year? That’s Carson Hocevar. But the same could have been said about Dale Earnhardt Sr. when he was in his sophomore campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Now, I’m not going to get ahead of myself. Dale Sr. won a race as a rookie and was a five-time winner in his second season on the way to the NASCAR championship. However, there are many in the NASCAR world who see a little bit of Earnhardt, The Intimidator, in Carson Hocevar.

It isn’t just fans. Even Dale Jr. thinks there is a little of that fire and passion his father had in Hocevar. At some level, maybe the same could be said about a few drivers in the sport. However, Hocevar is the one making headlines for spinning veteran drivers lately.

Coming off of the Ricky Stenhouse Jr. incident at Nashville, Carson Hocevar was asked directly about the comparison. As a fan of the sport, you can tell he enjoys the juxtaposition a bit.

“I mean, if I win seven championships, I would potentially call, want to, whatever,” Hocevar said when asked about the comparisons. “It’s obviously, if you’re going to get compared to one guy, that’s the guy. You know, endorsements from Dale Jr. and everybody. I don’t think I’m new anything. I think I’m new me. That’s, everything about me is real, I’m not trying to play a part or trying to fit a role or trying to pretend to be anybody. Um, that’s for everybody else to decide. What they get and perceive of me, but I know who I am, and you know, ultimately, I want to be known as me, and you know, sometimes that leads to comparisons.”

Is Carson Hocevar his generation’s Dale Earnhardt?

Since Dale Sr. died in 2001, many drivers have been compared to him. Some comparisons are more apt than others. You could say that the Busch brothers possessed a bit of that fire and, at times, recklessness early in their careers. Both are champions of the sport.

There are more recent examples as well. Dale Jr. believes that Joey Logano fits that mold a bit. When he’s behind the wheel, Logano can throw caution to the wind at times, especially if he is, in his mind, wronged first. There is also Ross Chastain, who broke through onto the Cup Series scene with Trackhouse Racing in 2022 and 2023. He ruffled enough feathers to get a phone call from Rick Hendrick himself. And not in a good way, either.

Now, Carson Hocevar is getting those comparisons. Sitting at 17th in points, and possibly another top-five finish away from cracking the provisional playoff picture, Hocevar is not making any friends on the track. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, and even his mentor of sorts, Ross Chastain, have all complained about Hocevar’s actions on the track. Particularly when he has strong runs. Last week at Nashville was the latest example with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

While Carson has a long way to go, the comparisons are already starting. If he doesn’t change his driving style, those comparisons are going to continue. If he starts to win races, there is no chance of stopping them.