Hamlin Criticizes Hocevar's Bristol Move, Cites His Own 2017 Lesson
The short version
- Hamlin said Hocevar chose the 'nuclear option' at Bristol rather than lifting and retaliating later in the corner
- Blaney, part of the podcast discussion, viewed the wreck as a 50/50 incident
- Hamlin referenced his 2017 Martinsville crash of Chase Elliott, which gave Kyle Busch the win in overtime
- Blaney led 202 laps, finished 33rd, and now trails Kyle Larson by 52 points in sixth
- The Cup Series races Sunday at Kansas Speedway, 3 p.m. ET on USA Network
Denny Hamlin argued on his podcast that Carson Hocevar routinely chooses the most aggressive option in on-track disputes, using his 2017 Martinsville incident as perspective.
Denny Hamlin offered a detailed critique of Carson Hocevar's late-race move at Bristol, saying on his Actions Detrimental podcast that the young driver faced two paths and selected the destructive one. Ryan Blaney, the driver caught up in the crash, joined the conversation and described the incident as evenly split, with no obvious culprit. Hamlin allowed that the contact fell into a gray zone but argued that Hocevar consistently picks what he labeled the "nuclear option" whenever a rival closes the door on his run.
According to Hamlin, the alternative would have been to ease off briefly and settle the score in the corner, an approach he believes tends to keep a dispute from spiraling. He stressed he was not singling Hocevar out, noting he forgave him after being spun at Sonoma earlier this season.
Hamlin drew on his own history to explain his view. In the fall 2017 race at Martinsville Speedway, he turned Chase Elliott with three laps remaining while battling for the lead, sending the event to overtime and delivering the victory to teammate Kyle Busch. He said that mistake taught him drivers cannot control their cars when their rear tires are lifted on corner entry.
The Bristol crash proved costly for Blaney, who paced the field with 202 laps led before retiring in 33rd place and falling to sixth in points, 52 behind Kyle Larson. Hocevar came home third and holds eighth in the standings. Both are entered in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, with coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
