Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Carson Hocevar Responds To Criticism From Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 3:17 PM ET

During last Sunday's race at Nashville Superspeedway, countless people ripped Carson Hocevar for getting into the back of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s No. 47 Chevrolet.

Hocevar, who came in second place at the Cracker Barrel 400, sent Stenhouse for a spin on Lap 106 on Stage 2. That incident resulted in Stenhouse picking up his first DNF of the 2025 season.

As you'd imagine, Stenhouse wasn't pleased with Hocevar's antics. He also wasn't thrilled that Hocevar remained mostly silent about his "overaggressive" move following Sunday's race.

"I’ve been in this sport a long time and if you make a mistake like that, you generally pick up the phone as quick as you can, especially if you feel bad about it," Stenhouse said Tuesday. "If you don’t, you just roll on with it. No, I’ve not gotten a call from him. I’ve talked to his owner. Jeff Dickerson and I are super tight. I haven’t gotten a call from him, so to my point, he doesn’t really care about it, which is fine."

It didn't take long for Hocevar to respond to Stenhouse's comments.

Hours after Stenhouse made those remarks, Hocevar told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he reached out to Stenhouse because he felt bad about the whole situation.

That being said, Hocevar isn't going to change his driving style.

"I don’t wanna change or lose my edge I just need to smooth the edges a bit," Hocevar said, via Danielle Trotta of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will most likely have a smile on his face after reading that statement from Hocevar. After all, he complimented the young driver's aggressive style of racing.

"I think the guy reminds me of like a 1979 Dale Earnhardt - fast, not scared to use his front bumper, doesn't care if someone gets mad about it," Dale Jr. said on his podcast. "I say that to maybe encourage Carson to continue what he's doing because Dale Earnhardt ended up becoming a seven-time champion, and that aggressive style was something that endeared him to a lot of people."

Hocevar might not be loved in the NASCAR community, but that won't matter as long as he's having success on the track.

The NASCAR Cup Series will resume this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: