Carson Hocevar started 22nd and finished 19th at New Hampshire. It was hardly the kind of result that would dominate post-race conversations. Yet once again, the Spire Motorsports driver found himself at the center of attention. This time, it was his pre-race spin that drew the headlines.
Watch What’s Trending Now! Those out on the track could not believe what they had seen. Team Penske’s Joey Logano called “Hocevar” an idiot. And the entire racing community seems to be stuck on talking about a moment that had zero impact on the race whatsoever. And according to defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, that was exactly what Hocevar wanted. “Spinning out before the race. Like that was 1,000% just to get on TV,” Larson did not mince words while discussing Hocevar’s pre-race incident on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
Hocevar and the others were circling the New Hampshire Motor Speedway under caution before Sunday’s race. The officials decided to start an hour early to avoid worse weather conditions. But with the track still extremely wet, drivers were trying to understand how much grip the wet-weather tires could provide.
Hocevar, however, decided to push the limits. The No. 77 Spire Motorsports driver accelerated around the pace car before losing control of his Chevrolet and spinning. The incident immediately raised eyebrows because the race had not even gone green.
The timing made the move particularly difficult to justify, because taking unnecessary risks during the pace laps offered little reward. Hocevar, however, defended the decision, saying he wanted to test the track while nobody was around rather than learn about the conditions once the green flag waved. But Larson and 23XI Racing spotter Freddie Kraft clearly saw something different.
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Hocevar has developed a reputation for turning ordinary racing moments into highly visible confrontations. That was evident again at Loudon when he became embroiled in an incident with Connor Zilisch. After the pair made contact, Hocevar caught back up to Zilisch and moved into the No. 88 Chevrolet, making door-to-door contact and forcing the rookie out of the preferred line. Earlier this season at Indianapolis, Hocevar also drew attention after his interaction with Corey Heim after the 23XI Racing talent blocked him to protect track position. Hocevar’s middle-finger gesture toward Heim afterwards became another talking point, reinforcing the perception that his personality increasingly spills over onto the racetrack.
None of this takes away from Hocevar’s ability. In fact, the criticism is partly rooted in how much talent Larson and others believe he possesses. The bigger question is whether Hocevar can channel that talent without creating unnecessary distractions. For now, his Loudon weekend offered another example of how quickly his antics can overshadow the actual racing.
Kyle Larson sees elite talent beneath the controversies “Maybe the most talented out there,” Larson said about Hurricane Hocevar during the discussion on Door Bumper Clear. It explains why the constant criticism aimed toward him comes with an important caveat. Hocevar has repeatedly shown that he belongs at NASCAR’s highest level.
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His breakthrough came at Talladega Superspeedway in April, when he secured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory. It was the kind of result that validated the potential many inside the garage had already seen in him. Overall, his 2026 season has been much stronger than his recent results might suggest. Hocevar remained inside the top five in the Cup Series standings until Indianapolis, putting himself firmly among the sport’s leading drivers. He has since slipped to 11th after three weeks of poor performances, but his place in the Chase is already secure. Spire Motorsports clearly believes the ceiling is even higher. The organization signed Hocevar to a multi-year contract extension in February, keeping him in the No.
77 Chevrolet through the next decade. That kind of commitment does not come without enormous belief in a driver’s ability. Larson’s latest comments are not the first time he has praised Hocevar while simultaneously questioning his approach either. Earlier this year, the Hendrick Motorsports driver offered a similar assessment of the young driver. “Hocevar, honestly, I respect his talent. I think he’s extremely, extremely good and fast. I like his aggressiveness, even, but I would say it goes overboard a lot of the time,” Larson said on Bussin’ With The Boys.
That distinction is important. Larson is not arguing that Hocevar needs to become a completely different driver. His aggression is part of what makes him dangerous, and his ability to extract speed from a race car is difficult to ignore. The challenge is learning where to draw the line. Hocevar is still only 23 and is gaining experience every weekend. The talent is there, and so is the confidence.
What he needs now is the discipline to know when aggression creates an advantage and when it simply creates another headline. If Hocevar can find that balance, the same personality that currently frustrates his rivals could eventually become one of his greatest strengths.
