Ricky Stenhouse Jr. absolves “super impatient” Carson Hocevar of any malice in Nashville

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. reflected on the Nashville incident involving Carson Hocevar, which has made headlines in the lead-up to the race at Michigan International Speedway. While Stenhouse Jr. absolved Hocevar of any intentional wrongdoing, he suggested that the young Spire Motorsports driver was impatient with the timing of his move.

The contact between the two drivers occurred in Stage 2, when Hocevar clipped the left rear of Stenhouse's #47 Chevy, sending him into the barriers and ending his race. After finishing second, the #77 Spire Motorsports driver remarked that Stenhouse could have cut him a break. Hocevar's comments sparked mixed reactions from industry figures and NASCAR fans alike.

Ahead of the race weekend at Michigan, Carson Hocevar reached out to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to explain his thought process during last weekend's incident. Following their conversation, the Hyak Motorsports driver said Hocevar didn't crash on purpose but described the #77 Chevy driver as 'super impatient' after being held up for two laps.

"I was able to see what his thought process was during the whole incident. I don't think he crashed me on purpose, but I do think that he was super impatient. [He was] behind me for two laps," he told Bob Pockrass.

Stenhouse Jr. explained that Hocevar overdrove the corner to get alongside his #47 Chevy, but the Spire driver took too long to realize the move wouldn't work. The #47 Hyak Motorsports driver added:

"His thought process was he had a little run down the back, he could that he could overdrive the corner and get to my inside, which he never did. He said that he waited just a hair too long to decide that he wasn't gonna get there. By the time he did that he ran into the back of us. I just told him I felt it was pretty impatient. I've never had any issues, he's had plenty of issues with other people."

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealed that he received numerous text messages from fellow drivers suggesting ways to retaliate against Carson Hocevar, some proposed wrecking him on track, while others joked he should have given him the 'Kyle Busch treatment'. Stenhouse Jr. said he didn't want to get into a 'pissing' contest with Hocevar, indicating that tensions had de-escalated.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. opens up about points lost at Nashville

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. shared that Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson reached out to him after the Nashville wreck, and Carson Hocevar's crew chief also spoke with the #47 Hyak Motorsports crew chief. Stenhouse Jr. dropped out of the playoffs spot as a result of the incident at Nashville.

Stenhouse Jr. said that his team has to execute at a high level to remain in the tight battle for a playoff position. He told Bob Pockrass:

"We're only six points out of the playoffs, and that's what we are focused at Hyak and trying to get back into the playoffs. Feel like we have done a really good job of executing races really well." [2:06 onwards]

"Felt like there was a productive conversation that we had, but it still doesn't give us our points back. We have to make sure we executive at a high level, and bring some fast cars to make sure we get back into the playoffs."

Heading into Michigan International Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sits six points below the cutline, while Carson Hocevar trails by just four points. The FireKeepers Casino 400 is scheduled for Sunday, June 8, at 2:00 PM ET.