Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has issued a clear warning to fellow NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar ahead of the upcoming race on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Following several confrontations during this Cup Series season, Stenhouse made it evident that tensions between the two drivers remain high, signaling potential continued conflict. The warning comes after on-track incidents at Nashville Superspeedway and last week’s event in Mexico City, where their rivalry intensified.
Rivalry Escalates After Mexico City Incident
After the June 15 race in Mexico City, Stenhouse directly confronted Hocevar with heated words. Speaking to NBC Sports, Stenhouse confessed his frustration, saying,
“Honestly, tired of talking about the kid.”
He continued,
“Eventually, it will come to a head. In the right place in the right time, eventually. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but he probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time. We’ll see how that goes.”
During the post-race exchange, Stenhouse explicitly warned Hocevar:
“I’m going to beat your ass when we get back to the States.”
Hocevar Acknowledges Retaliation May Be Coming
Carson Hocevar, 22, is fully aware that Stenhouse is targeting him and expects payback at the Pocono race, officially known as The Great American Getaway 400. Hocevar remarked,
“The scorecard has it that I’m getting something from the 47 at some point, right?”
He added,
“And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that. But at the same time, it’s ideally just the 47, right? It’s not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents…”
The young driver stressed that despite the animosity, his focus remains on racing competitively.
“But we’re still just going to go race, be aggressive and defend ourselves when we need to,”
Hocevar said, continuing,
“But this is, unfortunately, now a 2-0 scorecard. I’ve been a fan of the sport for a long time. You know the game; you’ve seen it and everything. But we just go race.”
Anticipation Builds for Physical and Intense Racing at Pocono
With both drivers signaling readiness for confrontation, Sunday’s race at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, promises intense competition. Fans and observers are bracing for hard-fought battles as the rivalry between Stenhouse and Hocevar adds an extra layer of drama to the event. The stakes are high as both drivers look to settle scores while maintaining their focus on the Cup Series season.
The ongoing friction highlights the pressure and passion within NASCAR’s competitive field, emphasizing how personal rivalries can impact on-track dynamics and the strategies drivers employ during races.