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He was chided primarily by Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney, but the receiving line of disgruntled drivers waiting for Carson Hocevar could have been so much longer.
After the latest thriller at Atlanta Motor Speedway, at least a dozen more probably would take issue with how Hocevar took no prisoners while dazzling through the draft. In an expletive-filled radio rant after Stage 1, Kyle Busch angrily vowed to wreck Hocevar.
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Many others would have been eager to scold the 22-year-old upstart from Spire Motorsports about how he did so many things “wrong” in posting a career-best second-place finish at Atlanta.
And many of those aggrieved would have their own memories of being treated the same way for upsetting the establishment in the Cup Series.
“It‘s so funny to see a bunch of veteran drivers pissed at a young and aggressive rookie going for his first win,” Landon Cassill posted on social media Monday. “A tale as old as time. I love it.”
Indeed, the first driver to raise post-race qualms Sunday is familiar with justifying bold and daring moves to older veterans who have started families and slammed into more walls in their careers.
Chastain, who pulled Hocevar aside for an amiable but still occasionally animated chat in the infield grass, was the youthful scourge of NASCAR two years ago after having angered Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Blaney (to name a few).
Once the youngest winner in Cup history, Busch regularly feuded with his elders 20 years ago. Joey Logano routinely was bullied early in a Cup career he started as a teenager.
Even the mild-mannered Blaney once got sideways with Harvick and Jimmie Johnson.
It‘s a rite of passage for virtually any driver who wants to be a Cup winner and title contender: You will be told that you are “doing things wrong” on your way to the top.
As a part-time Cup driver (and soon-to-be Xfinity champion) 15 years ago, Brad Keselowski wore it as a badge of honor that he ruffled the feathers of Carl Edwards, Hamlin and Stewart while often playing chicken at 200 mph (infamously earning him the nickname of “Craze-lowski” from his peers).
“There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes from that in a bizarre way,” a 25-year-old Keselowski told USA Today Sports in October 2009. “In this sport when others are angry at you, generally you’ve done something right. Because when you’re in a competitive environment, the only time a competitor is going to like you is when they’re beating you.
“They’re mad at me because I’ve been racing too hard, not because I’m causing wrecks. That’s pretty damn awesome! It’s pretty awesome that Tony Stewart’s mad at me because I’m outracing him. So I don’t walk away from that angry or upset.”
The perspective is different for Hocevar, who spun Blaney with 22 laps remaining Sunday and wrecked fellow rookie Harrison Burton under caution last year. Though he outraced many stars at Atlanta, Hocevar admittedly has built a reputation for mistakes that justifiably have drawn the ire of NASCAR officials as well as his peers.
Giving Chastain and Blaney room to air their grievances after Atlanta was a wise move.
But Hocevar also seems aware there‘s a downside to heeding all of their advice. He need look no further than longtime mentor Chastain.
NASCAR‘s Ross Resistance Movement peaked on May 14, 2023 when Chastain wrecked Larson while battling for the lead at Darlington Raceway. That earned a very public rebuke from team owner Rick Hendrick, who essentially declared open season on Chastain despite his Trackhouse Racing team being a Chevrolet teammate and customer.
In the 61 races since then, Chastain has three victories, 11 top fives, 23 top 10s and missed last year‘s playoffs.
Compare that to his first season at Trackhouse in 2022 when Chastain posted two wins, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s and a championship round berth in 36 races.
There‘s a fine line between challenging the old guard but also trying to play by the rules they set.
Hocevar seemed mostly dismissive about having angered Chastain, Blaney and everyone else he is trying to beat on a weekly basis.
But it‘s telling that the longest post-Atlanta apology he offered was to Hendrick Motorsports, which also supplies Chevrolet engines and valuable technical support to Spire. Hocevar stressed he had no intentions of pushing Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Christopher Bell to the win ahead of Hendrick‘s Kyle Larson.
It was a preemptive and savvy move to maintain a strong relationship with those who have the largest impact on the speed of his No. 77 Chevrolet.
Give Hocevar credit for knowing that those are the only opinions that really matter.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the new “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
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