“Stop All the Bulls**t”: Denny Hamlin Urges NASCAR to Teach Rookie a Lesson, Curbing His Reckless Acts

It’s not the first time NASCAR’s outspoken veteran Denny Hamlin has called out a fellow driver for an on-track incident, and it certainly won’t be the last. Unlike other drivers in the current roster, the 43-year-old has a knack for saying it like it is. So it should come as no surprise that he called out Carson Hocevar for a recent incident at Nashville Superspeedway involving Harrison Burton in the NASCAR Cup Series.

While Ally 400 had all the drama and thrill for a 300-lap event, the incident between Hocevar and Burton stood out, prompting Hamlin to not mince his words on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

Denny Hamlin frustrated with Carson Hocevar’s antics

It all began on Lap 243 when Brad Keselowski spun hard into the wall, bringing about the 10th caution of the race. What followed was Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro rear-hooking Harrison Burton’s No. 21 Ford Mustang’s rear under yellow flag conditions. This resulted in Burton’s car spinning on the backstretch. While he avoided hitting the wall and suffered no significant damage, Carson Hocevar escaped the incident without any punishment.

Bob Pockrass has claimed that NASCAR will review the incident, however, Denny Hamlin believes that NASCAR should fine Hocevar, instead of deducting points or enforcing a suspension. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, the 43-year-old said, “I’m gonna call on NASCAR here. They needed to do something to Carson. They don’t need to suspend him or anything like that. But they need to dig into his pocket a little bit because I think that you have to.”

Expressing his belief that justice will be served one way or another, Hamlin said, “Things like this happen through self-policing. Other drivers like Harrison Burton will go a few weeks and knock Carson off the racetrack. Or he’ll spin him out. Self-policing that way. But the series itself, when the caution is out, the caution is out. That means stop all the bullsh** no matter what. I think they’ll definitely look at it and do something.”

It’s not the first time Denny Hamlin has told off Carson Hocevar for his on-track antics. Last year, Hamlin lambasted Hocevar for causing Ty Gibbs to spin in the 303rd lap of the race off of turn 2 at Martinsville. Gibbs was two laps ahead of Hocevar when the incident took place, prompting Denny Hamlin to say that the Spire Motorsport driver was “driving like an idiot”.

While Carson Hocevar’s antics can be attributed to his inexperience and temperament, the most puzzling aspect of the incident with Harrison Burton was NASCAR’s indifference towards the situation. The race finished with Hocevar in 16th place, while Burton suffered his first DNF of the season. Meanwhile, fans were left scratching their heads, especially because NASCAR had enforced penalties for similar incidents in the past.

NASCAR should show more consistency with on-track punishments

A similar incident occurred in the NASCAR Truck Series at Nashville Superspeedway when Layne Riggs was forced to serve a two-lap penalty on the pit road for driving into the back of Stefan Parson’s truck, causing him to spin out. This penalty wasn’t unprecedented either, as Carson Hocevar was held for two laps by NASCAR officials for attempting to right-rear hook Taylor Gray at Martinsville last year. This raises the question, why was Hocevar not held accountable for the incident this time?

Comparing the incident between Hocevar and Burton to the time NASCAR penalized Austin Hill for a tangle with Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin said, “They did do that to Austin Hill, didn’t they? In the Xfinity Series for crashing someone under caution at Charlotte? Cole Custer, I think it was like 25 points. You gotta do something. I don’t even know if Austin Hill has the rap sheet that Carson does.

“It’s just my opinion that you got a young guy coming in, and he’s doing these kinds of bad habits that he has been doing. He goes through phases with it. I think they need to get his attention here. It’s just not right to right rear-hook someone under caution. It’s not like he destroyed his car, but the severity of the crash doesn’t matter, it’s still the same act.”

Yet, it is to be noted that it’s not uncommon for NASCAR to review an incident post-race and enforce a penalty. Last year, Chase Elliott was handed a one-race suspension after being found guilty of intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin’s car on Lap 186 at the Coca-Cola 600. However, unlike the incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was in green flag conditions, Hocevar took out the right rear of Burton’s No. 21 Ford Mustang under caution.

Do you think Carson Hocevar deserves a penalty for the incident at Nashville? Let us know in the comments!