Carson Hocevar open to 'The Intimidator' comparisons on one condition

Ahead of the Cup race at Michigan, Carson Hocevar was asked whether he considers himself the new Intimidator. The nickname 'The Intimidator' is famously attached to Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the biggest names in NASCAR history.

Earnhardt's aggressive style of racing and his persona earned him the title of The Intimidator.

In Carson Hocevar's case, because of several incidents so far in his relatively young career, many fans have likened him to Earnhardt. His most recent incident was with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville, a week from which Hocevar was asked whether he sees himself as the new candidate for The Intimidator title.

"I mean, if I win seven championships… But, you know, if you’re going to get compared to one guy, that’s the guy, endorsements from Dale Jr. and everybody. But I don’t think I’m ‘new’ anything, you know, I think I’m ‘new’ me. Everything about me is real… like I’m not trying to play a part, try to fit a role or trying to pretend to be anybody. But, you know, it’s for everybody else to decide on what they get and perceive of me. I know who I am and, you know, ultimately, I want to be known as me and sometimes that leads to comparisons," Hocevar replied.

In light of his incident with Stenhouse, Hocevar further shared his thoughts on the fine line between clean racing and aggressive racing. The Spire driver said that the line is whether an incident was 'blatantly intentional' on a driver's part or whether it was part of racing.

Carson Hocevar mentioned how a driver has to make a thousand decisions during a race. And at times, it is the bad ones that get highlighted because of their nature of causing a yellow flag and creating 'a lot of tension.'

"I think every racecar driver kind of realizes that at times. Intensity will just pick up, especially with how hard it is to pass or whatever. The intensity just starts picking up at certain tracks. I think everybody can see the line, especially depending on how the race goes," he described.

Hocevar claimed that is what dictates how aggressive drivers are being, and when a driver starts making mistakes, they fall under the bracket of 'too much aggression.'

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Carson Hocevar expects no retaliation from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

In his media availability ahead of Michigan, Carson Hocevar was asked whether he expects payback from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The young driver claimed that he didn't expect any retaliation from Stenhouse.

Further sharing his thoughts on his preference between 'fists or the bumper' when it comes to revenge in NASCAR, Carson Hocevar said both hurt in some aspects. But either way, he finds both to be 'fun for fans.'

As for how he made things right with Stenhouse, Carson Hocevar spoke about the relationship he and his NASCAR rival share.

"It’s not too hard to call. You just pick up the phone and call. I don’t get nervous a whole lot or awkward… sometimes I am awkward, but I don’t get nervous or anything before those calls, especially when I feel like it’s warranted. You see these guys 38 weekends, so it’s either you call them or you see them here," he said.

Hocevar claimed it becomes easier if one moves 'that timeline up', which to him, is the biggest thing.