Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of HYAK Motorsports recently gave a blunt statement regarding his ongoing rivalry with Carson Hocevar, which has escalated over the past few races. The tension notably intensified during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, the first-ever points-paying NASCAR race outside the United States in the modern era.
In that race, with only 10 laps remaining, Hocevar, who was a lap down, spun Stenhouse’s car in the stadium section. This was the second time in three races that Hocevar had spun Stenhouse, the first being at Nashville Superspeedway. Before the Mexico City incident, the two drivers had a conversation about their previous contact at Nashville, where Hocevar’s car had tagged Stenhouse’s. Stenhouse expressed frustration, stating that his car was positioned well to finish inside the top 20 before the spin, which cost him valuable points in the standings. The incident contributed to Stenhouse falling 61 points behind the playoff cut line after Shane van Gisbergen won the race.
Stenhouse has made it clear that he is tired of giving Hocevar any more publicity or attention, indicating a desire to let the situation play itself out without further media engagement. He said, “I’m tired of giving the kid any publicity, anyway. I don’t know how it’s going to play itself out, but it will”.
On the other hand, Carson Hocevar has acknowledged the incidents and taken responsibility for the contact in Mexico City. He described the spin as a “sloppy” mistake, explaining that he locked up his tires and slid longer than expected, unintentionally hitting Stenhouse. Hocevar emphasized that he was not racing aggressively at the time but was merely logging laps and hoping for a caution to improve his day. He expressed regret and stated that Stenhouse is not someone he would ever want to hit again. Hocevar also reflected on their strained relationship, noting that despite previous conversations, there is nothing he can say or do to mend it, humorously adding that he “can’t go buy him a Hallmark card” to make things better.
The rivalry began in Nashville when Hocevar clipped Stenhouse’s car, sending him into the barriers and ending his race. Despite this, Stenhouse absolved Hocevar of any malice, attributing the incident to Hocevar’s impatience after being held up for two laps. Before the Michigan race, the two drivers had a conversation where Hocevar explained his thought process, and Stenhouse acknowledged that the crash was not intentional but due to Hocevar’s impatience.
In summary, the rivalry between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar has been marked by on-track incidents, heated exchanges, and unresolved tension. Stenhouse is focused on moving forward without giving Hocevar further media attention, while Hocevar accepts responsibility for the incidents but recognizes the difficulty in repairing their relationship at this time.
