“Willing to cause a ruckus”

Brad Keselowski gave his personal take on Carson Hocevar’s reputation this week, explaining why he believes the similarities between them only go so far. The RFK Racing co-owner drew on his early career to identify what separates the two drivers beyond the comparisons that have followed both Michigan natives.

Hocevar has been one of the most talked-about drivers in the 2026 Cup Series. Incidents at Michigan, Sonoma, Atlanta and several other races in recent weeks have led to criticism from veterans including Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress.

While many have acknowledged the 23-year-old Spire Motorsports driver’s talent, they have also questioned whether his aggressive approach is creating too many enemies inside the garage. Asked whether he sees his younger self in Hocevar on The Athletic’s 10 Questions interview, Keselowski pointed to one major distinction:

“When I see Carson, the biggest difference between him and me is that he is willing to cause a ruckus or a problem further back in the field. That’s an important differentiator. You’ve heard me say several times in different media sessions that we don’t get in fights for 15th. If you’re going to cause an incident or have a moment of serious controversy, for the most part, it probably should be for wins and top-twos or -threes.”

While every driver races aggressively at times, Brad Keselowski believes the situations that lead to controversy should generally come when there is something significant on the line rather than positions deep in the field.

“What I see with Carson is his boundary of controversy is much wider and deeper through the field. Carson isn’t afraid to wreck somebody for 20th, then get out and tell him, ‘Sorry, that’s racing.’ You’re like, ‘Yeah. Yes, it is. Totally.’ But knowing when and how to use that currency is a big part of motorsports,” Brad Keselowski continued.

Despite the criticism, Brad Keselowski was highly impressed by Carson Hocevar’s ability and the progress Spire has made over the past two years. His average finish of 21.6 in 2025 has become 14.3 in 2026, while his 17.6 average starting position has also improved to 10.8 this year. He has already earned five top fives, more than his first two years combined, including a win at Talladega.

“Carson has loads of talent. He’s with a team that is giving him great race cars. The alliance Spire has with Hendrick is very good and strong for them. Their whole organization is going through that on-the-rise moment, and he’s riding that wave and having fun with it,” Brad Keselowski added.

The comments came after Denny Hamlin had already revealed that drivers inside the garage were tired of Hocevar’s antics and how it directly cost him a win at Atlanta, when no one chose to push him on the final lap.

Brad Keselowski also drew attention earlier in the summer when he questioned Hocevar’s credentials for the comparisons to Dale Earnhardt. He argued that he had to win more races before the comparisons held up, which led to fan backlash, pointing to Keselowski’s own 80-race winless streak.

Brad Keselowski sees similarities between Carson Hocevar and his NASCAR journey: “I see some parallels”

Although Brad Keselowski believes Carson Hocevar races differently, he acknowledged there are several similarities between their careers beyond simply being drivers from Michigan. Asked whether he saw pieces of himself in the younger Hocevar and whether the comparison was fair, he said it reminds him of when he first joined Penske Racing (now Team Penske).

“A fair comparison versus whether I see pieces of myself in him? I think those are two different questions. Carson generates a lot of attention… His team is very interesting. Spire itself is this up-and-coming team trying to prove itself in the same fashion he’s trying to prove himself. So I see some parallels there from the time I went to Penske, when they really weren’t respected in NASCAR. Spire is in that same category, where they haven’t been respected for a long time and are trying to be respected, and they’re with a driver who is pushing them to the limit.”

Denny Hamlin made a similar point on Actions Detrimental last week, referencing Joey Logano’s 2015 Matt Kenseth feud on how garage relationships translate directly to championship outcomes.