Carson Hocevar was confronted on pit road after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway, with the 2024 Rookie of the Year accused of being unable to drive
Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith clashed at Iowa(Image: Getty)
During Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway, Zane Smith appeared to try and get payback on Carson Hocever after an earlier wreck.
Hocevar has gained notoriety for his bold driving tactics, drawing the ire of fellow drivers like Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. this season. His aggressive maneuvers have even led Ryan Blaney to label him a “moron” after a disruptive incident back in February, while Denny Hamlin made a candid admission about Hocevar a few weeks ago.
On lap 229 of Sunday’s race, which saw an incident also take place between Hendrick teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, Hocevar added Zane Smith to his list of on-track casualties.
READ MORE: Kyle Larson makes feelings clear on Chase Elliott incident as NASCAR announcer stunnedREAD MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr stepping aside for NASCAR to welcome back popular announcer
It prompted a confrontation from a member of Smith’s No. 38 team on pit road post-race. Despite this, Hocevar pointed out that Smith had tried to retaliate during the race.
A few laps after their first incident, Smith made a sharp right turn, barely missing Hocevar’s rear bumper, seemingly signaling his displeasure with the fellow racer.
Smith’s day ended in a disappointing 36th place finish, while Hocevar secured an eighth-place result. Following the race, as Hocevar was speaking to Frontstretch, he was interrupted by a member of Smith’s crew.
“Yeah, I felt like our car was pretty good,” Hocevar commented. “Strategy, I don’t know if anybody could have predicted how this race works. Solid day.”
The tension escalated when a member of Smith’s team confronted Hocevar, audibly questioning: “When are you going to learn how to drive? Wiped us the f— out.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Hocevar kept his cool and didn’t react, but during his interview, he claimed that Smith deliberately tried to cause a wreck.
“I just got loose, was wrecking myself, and then he was right there,” Hocevar recounted the incident. I got cleaned out, it’s just a product of trying on restarts and then hitting the stops and getting loose. I was going to spin myself. He took a swing at me that nobody saw.”
Hocevar accused Smith of aggressive driving: “Turned dead right and tried to wreck me at one point. If he wants to be Billy Bada– then go ahead.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Despite gaining a controversial reputation, Hocevar isn’t backing down from his lack of experience. Reflecting on a past incident with Stenhouse Jr. at the Cracker Barrel 400 in June, he admitted his reluctance to lose his competitive “edge” while acknowledging room for improvement.
He detailed the racing mishap: “I didn’t want to wreck him, I thought he’d run the middle, and he came all the way down, and I got in his [left rear],” Hocevar said. “Maybe in that situation [with] Ricky, I’d change some things, but I’m not gonna change who I am.”
Hocevar affirmed his commitment to winning: “I’m still gonna put my car in the best spot I can to win. I’m just learning when to and when not to . I don’t wanna change or lose my edge, I just need to smooth the edges a bit.”