Carson Hocevar has addressed his latest feud with fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Zane Smith after their on-track tussle at Chicagoland. Rather than escalating the issue further, the Spire Motorsports driver opted for a lighthearted response.

During the race at Chicagoland Speedway, on Lap 32, Smith intentionally drove into Hocevar, causing major damage to both cars. NASCAR didn't penalize either driver, but summoned them to the hauler at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta on Saturday.

Smith addressed the media, stating that "I just don’t like him (Hocevar)," and earlier, had also called him a "coward." After the meeting with NASCAR, Hocevar was questioned if his relationship with Smith had changed. He humorously replied to the question with a deadpan expression.

"We’ll have to go to couples counseling. A lot of times with your partner and everything, you don’t see it," Hocevar said. (via Frontstretch on YouTube)

The No. 77 Spire Motorsports driver was further questioned about whether he finds this animosity from Smith's side weird. He replied,

"I didn’t know. It kind of caught me off guard a little bit." 

Their first on-track encounter can be traced back to the race in Iowa in 2025, where Hocevar got loose and hit the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports driver, causing him to spin and hit the wall. And since then, the tension has been high between the two drivers.

However, Smith did not just stop there with his comments towards Carson Hocevar. 

Zane Smith criticizes Carson Hocevar in Atlanta 

Although Carson Hocevar took the whole situation very lightly, Smith gave a critical view of the incident. While talking to the media post the meeting in the NASCAR hauler, the Front Row Motorsports driver explained how the previous run-in contributed to their run-in at Chicagoland.

Smith used the Nashville race run-in as one example. He said (in the same interview shared by Frontstretch):

"Like Nashville, as soon as we are around each other, he just runs into me and then points me by, and then talks crap to the media and, I don’t know."

While Smith has criticized Carson Hocevar throughout the week, it is unlikely that the two drivers will collide in the upcoming few weeks due to the stern warning issued to both drivers by NASCAR.

According to the sanctioning body, both drivers will face severe fines and penalties if this happens.

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak