Sometimes, a phone call after the race will fix conflict between NASCAR drivers. This is not the case for Carson Hocevar, who knows that even an apology card will not help him and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. put their issues to rest.
What is the source of the conflict? Hocevar, who was a lap down, hit Stenhouse Jr. in the stadium section of Mexico City on Lap 90. This spun the No. 47 and factored into the Hyak Motorsports driver ending the day 27th overall.
This was the second incident with Stenhouse Jr. in three weeks, so Hocevar knows an apology will not fix the problem between them. Stenhouse made this clear when he said, "I'm going to beat your ass" while leaning into Hocevar's window.
"There's nothing that really would change it, right? We've already had that conversation," Hocevar said at Pocono Raceway on Saturday. "I feel like we have a good relationship or, you know, had one. I was just running behind him, just kind of logging laps and, you know, just locked up in a very dumb spot.
"And it was just so dumb, really. Just a mistake that didn't need to happen and didn't want it to happen. But there's nothing that I could do or say. You know, I can't buy him a Hallmark card and really make things better. So, it sucks."
The incident and the exchange. pic.twitter.com/nqOjNWYogW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2025
The two drivers already took part in a conversation. They did so after the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, a race in which contact from Hocevar sent Stenhouse Jr. into the wall.
Stenhouse Jr. expressed frustration with his fellow driver after Nashville and called him over-aggressive. Yet, they appeared to bury the proverbial hatchet after a pre-Michigan conversation.
Now that Mexico City is in the rearview mirror, the issues have resurfaced. Stenhouse Jr. has promised a beating, one that he has not delivered.
All Hocevar knows at this point is that the "scorecard" has him ahead of his fellow driver after two incidents in three weeks. This sets up a potential scenario where Stenhouse Jr. delivers payback.
The Spire Motorsports driver doesn't want this to happen, but at this point, he would totally understand.
"I mean, we're really fast here (at Pocono), so I'm hoping he's artistic about it that I don't hit anything," Hocevar said. "But yeah, I mean, just ultimately -- like it could be tomorrow or it could be six months from now, right?
"It would be very hypocritical for me to then lose my mind and be frustrated. I've been a fan for a very long time. You've seen these stories before. It's not, by no means, the first time. So, hopefully, for my sake, it doesn't happen and we can race, and if I need to, you know, we can point it by whatever."