Dale Earnhardt Jr. SLAMS Carson Hocevar for “Egotistical” Comments After the Kansas Truck Race Win

Carson Hocevar emerged victorious at the Truck Series race at the Kansas Speedway on Friday. Hocevar was involved in a last-lap dramatic battle with Layne Riggs as the former won the race in the end. After crossing the chequered flag as a winner, the No.7 driver couldn’t hold back from making some controversial comments on the team radio. Now, the Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has taken a dig at the 22-year-old for his comments on the radio.

Carson Hocevar‘s victory in Kansas did not come with ease as he had to battle it hard out on the track, especially against Layne Riggs. The two drivers had contact and went into the wall, with Hocevar regaining control of his car and maintaining his lead. Riggs was also disqualified at the end of the race due to a bed cover violation. As such, his dangerous move against the No.7 driver wasn’t beneficial in the end either.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his opinions on Carson Hocevar’s heated comments at the end of the race, and also his flipping off Layne Riggs. The Hall of Famer pointed out that Hocevar is younger than Riggs, even though only by a few months.

The 50-year-old questioned if the No.7 driver was self-appointing himself as a veteran in racing due to his comments. Earnhardt also raised concerns over Hocevar’s attitude by the end of the race.

Riggs is older than him,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “Is he self-appointing himself some sort of veteran? Y’all heard that s**t. ‘Man, that kid’s gonna win a lot of races.’ What the f**k dude?

Dale Jr. said on his podcast Dale Jr. download.

Dale Jr. explains that Carson Hocevar is still a kid and doesn’t need to be so harsh in his approach on the grid. The Hall of Famer labeled Hocevar’s angry tactics as ‘egotistical,’ which was uncalled for. The 50-year-old believes that while Riggs is not in the Cup Series, he is still a very talented driver who isn’t much apart from the 22-year-old. Earnhardt even argued that Layne Riggs could get reasonable results if he were put in the No.77 car in the Cup Series.

You’re a kid. That was a very egotistical move. I think it’s an asinine way to look at things. …I know that Riggs is not in Cup, but in terms of ability, talent, I don’t really set them too far apart. You could put Riggs in the 77 (car) and eventually get reasonable results.

Dale Jr. added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals the downside of Carson Hocevar ‘owning’ his mistake

Carson Hocevar remained unapologetic for his actions at the Kansas Speedway after achieving the win at the Heart of America 200. Despite showing the middle finger to Layne Riggs, the former believed that it wasn’t completely uncalled for. Dale Jr., despite ripping up Hocevar for his antics on Friday, reckons that the latter isn’t wrong to not own up to his own mistakes.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. pointed out that he wasn’t concerned with Carson Hocevar not owning up to his mistakes, especially the middle finger part. The reason for this is that by accepting the mistakes, Hocevar would invite criticism from NASCAR and its people. The reactive behavior of the sport meant that the issue would be made much bigger than it was, causing a bigger backlash on social media.

Hocevar has showcased great premise and performance since the beginning of the 2025 season in both the NASCAR formats. Despite winning the Heart of America 200 of the Truck Series, the No.77 driver was unable to fare well at the Cup Series race on Monday. He could only finish in P26 at the AdventHealth 400 despite winning on Friday. Now, the 22-year-old will focus on the upcoming races and ensure that he remains calm and collected on the track.

Read more: Denny Hamlin is glad to see NASCAR finale back at Homestead despite Phoenix’s “deserving status”

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