Carson Hocevar has never had much trouble getting people to talk about him.
Getting everyone to agree on him? It is another story.
At 23, Hocevar has already become one of the NASCAR Series’ most polarizing drivers.
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Fierce eloquence earned him a lot of attention, plenty of critics, and more and more fans. He heard the cries. He has certainly heard of the pamphlets.
And he doesn’t sound very interested in changing from that.
Hocevar talked about his growing reputation in NASCAR in a new interview on Tuesday, Sept. 30. In the edit, the Spire Motorsports driver leaned directly into her rather than distanced himself from the person who followed him through the garage.
“I love it [that] my online persona is just being absolute [expletive]Hocevar said.
For a driver who spent much of his youth career at the Cup somewhere near the center of the conversation, the explanation that followed may speak volumes.
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“The more screams they get, the louder they’re going to get.”
Carson Hocevar is not interested in winning the popularity contest
Hocevar seems to make a distinction.
He wants to conquer the world. he wants to compete. He takes his care seriously. But he doesn’t believe any of it has become a sanitized version of himself.
“You can be content, you can take it seriously, but you can also make it fun,” Hocevar said.
His philosophy is hard to ignore.
Hocevar’s aggressive approach behind the wheel often put him under the microscope, including a collision with Ryan Blaney. Criticism has also followed him from the track, where almost everything he says or reports can become another speaker’s speech.
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The answer to all that attention is remarkably simple.
“Everybody hates what we’re talking about,” Hocevar said. “Then, OK stop talking about us.”
Easier said than done.
Hocevar has become one of the NASCAR drivers capable of generating a reaction before the green flag even drops. For some fans, that’s the very appeal. For others, it’s exactly why they can’t stand him.
Hocevar seems very comfortable with both groups.
I don’t know how to run someone else
Under the trolling, social media persona and willingness to play with NASCAR’s nefarious conversation, Hocevar’s explanation is finally returning to racing.
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“There’s always a goal for any driver who wants to make it to win NASCAR on Sunday,” Hocevar said.
That is where his opinion of the pamphlets is most revealing.
“If they liked me, I probably wouldn’t do my job very badly.”
A challenging way to put it, but it also explains why someone waiting for Hocevar to suddenly become another driver can wait a long time.
Criticism did not persuade them to become kinder. they did not persuade themselves to become less free by the pamphlets. If anything, Hocevar seems to see the reaction as part of what comes when he tries to establish himself at NASCAR’s top level.
“I don’t know why you’re running around otherwise,” Hocevar said.
At least no one can accuse him of pretending otherwise.