“Never, Ever!” Tomy Baldwin Brutally Shuts Down Carson Hocevar-Dale Earnhardt Comparisons

Ex-NASCAR Team owner Tommy Baldwin has called out the Dale Sr.-Carson Hocevar comparison, on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcasting platform.

“Never, Ever!” Tomy Baldwin Brutally Shuts Down Carson Hocevar-Dale Earnhardt Comparisons

Carson Hocevar, Tomy Baldwin and Dale Earnhardt (Via IMAGO and nascar.com)

One of the most talked about drivers in the NASCAR garage at the moment is Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, who is in his sophomore year in the Cup Series. He is expected to be the next superstar of the sport, wowing to his superior raw speed and willingness to be more aggressive. Many including the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. has compared the youngster to seven times champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Carson Hocevar’s willingness to engage in aggressive duels regardless of his rival’s stature in the sport, just like what Dale Sr. was doing in his heydays. But not everyone is a fan of these comparisons, and now ex-racer, ex-team owner and the current Competition Director of Rick Ware Racing, Tommy Baldwin is one of them.

In the recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Tomy Baldwin shared his thoughts this comparison and even got into a hilariously heated argument with co-host Freddie Kraft. He isn’t liking this comparison and urged people to stop telling the young Chevy driver that he is driving or racing similar to Dale Sr.

It’s not processing for him [Hocevar], something’s not processing – Carson, hello, something’s not processing with you. I’m going to go on record, look, Freddie, people comparing him to Dale Earnhardt, stop.

Tommy Baldwin said via Door Bumper Clear podcast.

He is confident that there won’t be another Dale Sr. ever in the sport and even if there is, he believes that isn’t Carson Hocevar. The second reason behind his argument is the fact that, Senior wasn’t wrecking everyone blatantly in races to overtake them, instead he was just nudging them out of the way or making small contacts to kill their momentum. 

There will never, ever, ever be another Dale Earnhardt. I don’t want to hear that, especially at Carson Hocevar. Never, ever, is he going to be a Dale Earnhardt, okay? So, that pisses me off, number one. Number two is, you can get behind people without wrecking them and get by them with just nudging them a little bit. Come on.

Tommy Baldwin added.

Steve Letarte is furious at Carson Hocevar for wrecking underdogs

In the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, ex-NASCAR crew chief Steve Letarte shared his thoughts on Carson Hocevar wrecking the likes of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The Amazon Prime race broadcaster admitted that he would have gone easy on the youngster if he was wrecking the front-runner and not the underdogs like the Hyak Motorsports driver.  

Steve Letarte
Steve Letarte (Via IMAGO)

I wonder if that’s not why I’m harder on Carson. If he would be wrecking (William) Byron or (Christopher) Bell or one of these front runners, I’d be like, ‘Let’s cut the kid some slack. Like, it’s going to be okay.’ But he keeps wrecking this guy that I’m cheering for as the underdog.

Steve Letarte said.

The senior NASCAR personal hates the fact that Hocevar is getting involved in incident featuring his fellow underdogs. He also dislike the fact that the No:77 Chevy driver isn’t staying true to his words after these incidents, as he continues to be over aggressive just days after promising he would be more careful.

He’s an underdog wrecking another underdog, I’m like, ‘Man, what are y’all doing?’ Like this is already hard enough. I wanted to believe (Hocevar) after Nashville and then after he ran over (Stenhouse) in Mexico, being a lap down, I’m like, ‘Man, what you say and what you do are not aligning.’

Steve Letarte added.

The comments from the senior NASCAR personals on the young racer seems bit bold and sometimes rational. At the moment the Hocevar-Dale Sr. comparison is a bit too much, as he hasn’t yet learned the aggressive style racing yet, but at the same time the only one driver in the current grid that is capable of coming close to Dale Sr. style of racing is Hocevar.

Also Read: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Agrees with Richard Petty, declares “Road Course Racing Isn’t NASCAR”