Right now, the only commonality in NASCAR apart from Denny Hamlin winning is that every single driver is asked about their thoughts on Carson Hocevar’s driving style. 

Most aren’t fans, and Brad Keselowski, who has been known to be a win-at-all-costs driver, says that Hocevar isn’t doing himself any favors. Keselowski was in conversation with Prime’s broadcaster and gave his say on the Spire 77 driver. 

“When you come into the sport as a new driver with the talent that Carson Hocevar has, you're going to make some mistakes, some things are going to happen. The challenge I see for Carson is there's only so long you can get away with this. And we keep saying this before it comes back to bite you.”

The RFK owner driver also spoke about the conversations about Hocevar being compared to some of NASCAR’s greatest drivers. Kesewloski was clear that there was only one way to back up all the talk.

“I've heard a lot of comparisons of Kyle Busch or Dale Earnhardt, intimidator, all those different things. The difference is Carson only has one win. He has 90-plus starts, one win. You know, if you want to compare yourself to Dale Earnhardts and Kyle Buschs, you have to win.”

The No 6 Ford driver also spoke about the relentlessness of surviving in NASCAR and that talent alone may not be enough unless the results show.

“This sport will cycle drivers, and it will cycle people fast, particularly if you cause a lot of problems and you don't win. If you want to be Dale Earnhardt or Kyle Busch, you've got to win,” said Keselowski. 

While he is seen as a mature, calm head around the garage currently, Keselowski, too, had his moment of being in the position that Hocevar finds himself in. 

Keselowski: The Prime Example of Backing It Up

Brad Keselowski hasn’t been anywhere near the most-liked driver, and Kyle Busch’s response to being asked about Keselowski is just proof of the pudding. 

At a point in the mid-2010s, there was a growing consensus that Keselowski wasn’t respectful of drivers around him. He would make it hard for drivers to pass and even squeeze through gaps that felt dangerously on the edge. But he always stuck by his approach and refused to apologize for it. 

Keselowski had run-ins with Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Jimmie Johnson, amongst others, but the most unforgettable one was with Jeff Gordon. 

In the 2014 race at Texas, Keselowski attempted to make a pass between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on a late restart. Keselowski made contact with Gordon’s HMS in the lead, and the four-time Cup champ ended up with a flat tire. 

Gordon’s anger ended up in a pit brawl where Kevin Harvick shoved Keselowski into Gordon’s path, leaving both drivers injured in the aftermath. 

But Keselowski refused to apologize and ended up having the best season of his Cup career, getting 6 wins, 1 more than he needed when he won the Cup series in 2012.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason