Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of HYAK Motorsports expressed his frustration with his recurring rivalry with Carson Hocevar following another incident in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The clash, which happened during the historic first points-paying NASCAR race outside the United States in the modern era, left Stenhouse Jr. visibly upset after Hocevar spun out his car late in the race.
The confrontation took place with only 10 laps remaining, after the two drivers had previously spoken about their earlier contact at Nashville Superspeedway, where Hocevar’s car had tagged Stenhouse’s #47. At the moment of the spin, Stenhouse Jr. noted his car was positioned well enough to finish inside the top 20, a placement that would have earned him valuable playoff points. Instead, the incident dropped him 61 points behind the playoff cut line as Shane van Gisbergen secured the race victory, further complicating Stenhouse Jr.’s chances of advancing.
After repeatedly addressing the rivalry publicly over recent weeks, Stenhouse Jr. indicated he is weary of continuing to draw attention to Hocevar, signaling a desire to focus on his performance rather than the conflict.
“For me, 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.”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
“I don’t know where it goes or what happens, but we’ve got a job to do over here, and that’s to claw our way back in the points. That line got tougher with SVG winning. We know next weekend is a very good opportunity for us to get the job done and win,” he added.
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Both Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar will look to improve their playoff prospects at the upcoming Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday, June 22, a race that could prove critical for their postseason hopes.
Carson Hocevar Addresses Tension Following On-Track Incidents with Stenhouse Jr.
Carson Hocevar reflected on the ongoing tension between himself and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after their recent collision in Mexico City reignited their rivalry. Their conflict initially sparked at Nashville Superspeedway when Hocevar made contact that ended Stenhouse’s race early, and the spinout in Mexico City was the second time in three races that Hocevar caused Stenhouse to lose control of his vehicle.
Ahead of the next race at Pocono, Hocevar expressed uncertainty about how to resolve the situation, highlighting the complexity of their relationship despite previous discussions.
“Unfortunately, I’m not sure what I would say. There’s nothing that really would change it. We’ve already had that conversation (before Michigan). We have a good relationship — or had one. Just locked up in a very dumb spot. Was just so dumb. Just a mistake that didn’t need to happen and didn’t want it to happen. There’s nothing I can do or say. I can’t go buy him a Hallmark card and make it better.”
—Carson Hocevar
After the race in Mexico, Stenhouse Jr. confronted Hocevar on pit road, visibly angered and warning of consequences once they returned to the United States. The ongoing feud underscores a growing tension on the track that threatens to impact both drivers’ focus and performance as the playoffs approach.
This escalating dispute between Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar comes at a critical moment in the NASCAR Cup Series season, where every point is vital. The outcome of their next races, including the Great American Getaway 400, could determine their paths in the playoff hunt and test their ability to set aside personal conflicts in pursuit of competitive success.