The Coca-Cola 600 turned into a nightmare for Carson Hocevar on Sunday night as his engine catastrophically failed during a critical late-race restart. What should have been a strong finish at one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events ended in disaster — and in an explosive post-race moment, Hocevar didn’t hold back his fury, placing the blame squarely on his own team.

The 21-year-old driver had been running inside the top ten, positioning himself for one of his best finishes of the season. But with just under 30 laps remaining, Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet suddenly lost power coming out of Turn 2 during a restart. He quickly pulled to the apron, smoke billowing from the hood, and was forced to retire from the race.

“The engine just gave up on me — boom, gone,” Hocevar said in an emotional post-race interview. “We’ve had problems building all week, and I kept saying something felt off. Nobody listened.”

 Mechanical Mayhem Ends Promising Run

Hocevar had been showing solid pace throughout the night. Despite starting in 24th, he steadily climbed the ranks through strategy and consistent lap times. By the third stage, he was running shoulder-to-shoulder with the leaders. But then disaster struck at the worst possible moment.

“Everything was fine, and then just like that, the car lost all response,” he recounted. “No warning lights, no drop in RPMs before — just sudden death.”

Initial reports from the Trackhouse satellite team indicate the issue may have been related to an oil pump failure that caused a loss of lubrication in the engine — something that could have been prevented with earlier diagnostics.

 Post-Race Explosion: Hocevar Points Fingers

What shocked fans and the NASCAR paddock even more than the failure itself was Hocevar’s pointed post-race criticism of his team.

“I love my guys, but tonight, we failed because somebody didn’t do their job,” he said. “I’ve been driving this car all weekend and saying, ‘There’s something wrong.’ I don’t care if it’s harsh — this was a preventable failure. And now we’re walking away with nothing.”

His words spread quickly across social media and drew mixed reactions. While some praised Hocevar for his honesty and accountability, others warned that throwing the team under the bus could damage morale and trust inside the garage.

 Team Response: “We’re All Frustrated”

Hocevar’s team, Spire Motorsports, issued a measured response on Monday morning.

“We’re disappointed in the outcome and understand Carson’s frustration,” the statement read. “Our crew works tirelessly to deliver competitive equipment, and we take mechanical reliability very seriously. We will investigate what went wrong and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Behind the scenes, however, tensions may be rising. An anonymous source within the team told SpeedWire that Hocevar’s criticism caught the crew off guard.

“We knew he was upset, but going public like that? That hurt,” the source said. “We’re all on the same side here.”

 The Cost of a Meltdown

For Hocevar, the result is more than just a lost opportunity — it could have major implications for his season. The young driver is in a tight points battle for a playoff spot. A top-10 finish at Charlotte would have boosted his standing, but instead, he walked away with a DNF and zero stage points.

The Coca-Cola 600 marked his third DNF of the season, and the frustration is clearly mounting.

“It’s hard to keep getting back in the car and believing everything’s fine when stuff like this keeps happening,” Hocevar said. “I want to win. I know we can compete. But we have to fix the basics first.”

 Emotional Maturity or Mistake?

Many around the sport are now asking: Did Hocevar go too far? Some veterans, like Kevin Harvick, weighed in after the race.

“It’s easy to get emotional after a tough break, especially for young guys,” Harvick said on the post-race broadcast. “But this is a team sport. You win together, you lose together.”

Others defended Hocevar, saying passion like his is exactly what NASCAR needs.

“Fans love raw emotion,” tweeted former driver Clint Bowyer. “At least he cares. Too many guys give boring interviews and act like it doesn’t matter. Carson’s the real deal.”

 What’s Next?

With tensions running high, all eyes will be on Hocevar and Spire Motorsports at the next race in Gateway. Will the team regroup and come back stronger? Or will the rift deepen?

One thing’s certain — Carson Hocevar’s passion, honesty, and drive to win aren’t in question. But in NASCAR, how you handle setbacks is just as important as how you handle success.

For now, the young driver will have to put this disaster behind him and hope that his message — no matter how fiery — lights a spark under his team to push forward.