Carson Hocevar reveals he had 'productive' talk with Ryan Preece after Texas wreck, controversy

Last week at Texas, Carson Hocevar got into Ryan Preece and ruined both of their days on the track in a puzzling move. Preece lit into the young, second-year NASCAR Cup Series driver in his interview out of the infield care center. He was clearly not happy with Hocevar.

Carson Hocevar has drawn the ire of a few drivers already. That is the usual cycle with young, fast racers. They come up and start running near the front, and the usual drivers up front aren’t used to them. So, there is a lot that gets lost in translation, if you will.

Whenever a driver like Hocevar makes a mistake, it is more than a mistake. It is just the most horrible, awful thing that’s happened, and he doesn’t respect his equipment or others and all of that stuff.

This week, ahead of Kansas, Hocevar spoke to the media. He was asked if he had spoken to Preece since Texas. The driver was open and honest in his answer.

“Yeah, we did. I thought it was very productive,” Hocevar revealed. “I thought he heard my point of view and I heard his, right? And I think we have a really good understanding to go forward. I just kind of explained my position of it was, I just passed the 17 and I didn’t really expect the 60 to be a factor in the equation. I started unwinding the wheel to get out of the 34’s wake and try to be on offense, and found myself on defense in the wake and crossing and tight, and now he’s on my door and just shocked me.

“So, I just explained that of, I wasn’t trying to put him in a bad spot and be aggressive. You know, I tried to unwind the wheel and track out to the wall, and I didn’t expect a car to be there. So, that’s on me for not predicting it, not expecting it. Expectations being different, and the grip level being a different thing. I think he was very understanding of it. Obviously, we both wrecked and it wasn’t good for either of us, and we’re both around the same points situation. He’s having a good year, I feel like we’re faster than expected. I think we just both have the understanding that we don’t want to ruin the momentum each other have moving forward.”

Carson Hocevar isn’t lying. He and Ryan Preece are very close to each other in points. In fact, they are separated by only two points for 17th and 18th place. Hocevar leads Preece, currently.

NASCAR is a tough sport. Hocevar is garnering a ton of attention. Preece is in the best position he has had in the Cup Series. So, the frustration is understandable. When you feel like you have one chance to prove everyone wrong, you will do anything to make it happen.

For Carson Hocevar, this is another moment he has to shake off. The driver has to remain focused. If Hocevar lets these minor arguments get to him, then he won’t get better. Someone is going to be mad at him on matter what he does. So, he should do what he does best and leave the rest of the drama behind.

Kansas is another opportunity. Hocevar and Preece are hoping to have big races on Sunday. All it takes is one win to change everything. Last year, we saw how close this race was. Will Hocevar be willing to do whatever it takes to get the win, if he is in that position?

So far this season, Hocevar has only two top-10 finishes. Kansas will be a great place for him to show off that raw speed he has displayed at other tracks this season. Spire Motorsports has started to take that next step. Hocevar will be the one to complete that step. Watch the 77 team this weekend.