Dale Earnhardt Jr. gives honest assessment of Carson Hocevar after latest run-in

Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar matched his career-best finish of second on Sunday night at Nashville, but that was not the only talking point surrounding the aggressive young driver.

While Hocevar's talent is undeniable, his aggressiveness has led to some questionable moves in his career. Just this season in the Cup Series, he drew the ire of several drivers at Atlanta, including Coca-Cola 600 winner Ross Chastain and Nashville winner Ryan Blaney, for his moves on the track.

The same was true Sunday night in the "Music City" when Hocevar got into the back of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. entering Turn 3 on Lap 107, causing Stenhouse to make contact with the outside wall and become the race's first retiree in 39th.

Despite finishing runner-up in each race, his actions on the track were the major takeaway from both events. 

When he joined Prime Video's pre-race coverage before the race Sunday night, Hocevar expressed his desire to have no regrets behind the wheel. 

During his post-race interview with Prime Video, Hocevar said he felt like, "That was just a common move with how big of a run I had" and did not seem to think he did anything wrong on his end.

Prime Video analyst and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the post-race coverage and gave his take on Hocevar's comments.

"Well, I hear a guy that doesn't know that he ran into the back of somebody and wrecked them," Earnhardt Jr. said. "Hey, I'll call it like it is. I like Hocevar a lot. Kid's awesome. Ran second tonight. I like his attitude, I like his personality, and I like his style. But yeah, I think he could have cut the 47 a break, and he chose not to do that."

Earnhardt Jr. further discussed Hocevar's driving style and how his decision-making could have been a little better on Sunday night.

"That's his way that he wants to race. He's not very apologetic about it," Earnhardt Jr. said. "A lot of people are going to love that. A lot of people are going to love how he races and how he does his job. From what I saw tonight, I think he probably could have gave Ricky an opportunity there and continued to race. And he'll have to hear that side from Ricky, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out."

Does that mean the two-time Daytona 500 winner and 15-time Most Popular Driver does not like watching Hocevar on track? Absolutely not. 

"I like what I see out of Hocevar. As a fan and a broadcaster, it is entertaining," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I just don't like it when he wrecks the good guy, you know? I know Stenhouse has had his issues, too, but you kinda gotta pick and choose who your enemies are, and you can't just kind of blanket the garage, right?"

The 22-year-old Hocevar is certainly not the first driver to rub his competitors the wrong way and will not be the last either. His decisions on track continue to raise eyebrows and test the boundaries between being too aggressive or not, but he is doing so while running toward the front with the veterans of the sport. 

Hocevar is a rising star and is getting closer to his first Cup Series win each week. He may have a long list of drivers frustrated by his actions, but his speed and talent on the track suggest a win is not far off.