Ricky Stenhouse Jr. calls out Carson Hocevar's lack of accountability days after Nashville run-in

NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar was involved in a controversial on-track incident with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during last Sunday’s (June 1) race at Nashville Superspeedway. In the aftermath, Stenhouse Jr. publicly voiced his frustration, criticizing Hocevar for showing a lack of accountability following the aggressive, race-ending move.

Stenhouse Jr., driving the #47 Chevrolet for HYAK Motorsports, started the race from P13, while Hocevar began in P26. Stenhouse Jr. held his position as Hocevar gradually closed in. On lap 106, at Turn 3, Hocevar made contact with the left rear of Stenhouse Jr.’s #47 Chevy, causing the Hyak Motorsports driver to lose control and suffer a race-ending incident.

In a recent post on X by ESPN journalist RJ Starevic, Stenhouse Jr. expressed his concerns about not receiving any communication from Hocevar.

"I've been in the sport a long time. If you make a mistake like that, you generally pick up the phone as quickly as you can. And, you know, especially if you feel bad about it. I mean, if you don't, you just roll on with it."

Following this, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. mentioned speaking with Carson Hocevar's team owner, Jeff Dickerson. Stenhouse Jr. shared that he would confront Hocevar if he didn't hear from the Spire Motorsports driver by the weekend.

"I haven't got a call from him. So, you know, to my point, he doesn't really care about it, which, you know, it's fine. If that's the ground he wants to stand on, that's completely fine. But definitely will be something I won't forget. And, you know, if I don't hear from him by the weekend, I'll probably confront him and we'll figure it out."

Piloting the #77 Chevy, Carson Hocevar has taken the NASCAR fraternity by surprise with his aggressive driving style. In 14 races this season, the 22-year-old has secured three top-10 and two top-five finishes, and his maiden Cup Series pole position.

He is currently ranked P17 in the overall driver standings and has yet to confirm his spot in the playoffs.

Carson Hocevar credits his strong execution for the runner-up Nashville finish

Aside from the controversy surrounding his on-track incident at Nashville, Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar delivered an impressive performance, finishing in P2. Reflecting on the result, Hocevar credited the strong execution by both himself and his team throughout the race, stating it was a collective effort that ultimately earned them the podium finish.

"I felt like a very smart Cup driver for almost every lap. It wasn't raw speed, unbelievable like Charlotte where it was just almost too easy to pass, where it was just really, really good. Obviously, it was super, super difficult to pass and I felt like we just executed on all levels," he told SiriusXM.

Meanwhile, the next Cup Series race is scheduled at Michigan International Speedway. Catch the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8, at 2 p.m. Eastern time.