Carson Hocevar divides opinions in NASCAR. Fans love his fearless driving style and aggressive risks. The Spire Motorsports driver even embraces his comparisons to Dale Earnhardt Sr. However, many fellow competitors do not share that same love. One of the escalating rivalries he’s had in the garage so far is with Zane Smith. Following a private conversation with series officials at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, Smith did not hold back.
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“I just don’t like him as a human,” Smith said. “I was never really racing him much in truck, but I just, I don’t know, I don’t like him.”
The bitter dynamic started at the 2025 race in Iowa. During that event, Hocevar made contact with Smith and put him into the outside wall. Later, he seemed to mock Smith’s post-race outrage by sharing a Drake song on his story to show he didn’t care. Since that day, mutual respect has been nearly non-existent.
The bad blood boiled over last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. On lap 32, Smith ran hard into the back of Hocevar. The contact sent the No. 77 spinning into the wall and damaged both cars. No penalties were handed out, but officials were concerned about how Hocevar could have reacted in future races. According to Smith, the hauler meeting accomplished very little.
“I think we both understand where we’re at with everything. But certainly the meeting doesn’t change how much he dislikes me and how much I dislike him,” Smith continued.
Meanwhile, Hocevar defended his driving style. He labeled the Chicago wreck as typical racing, claimed he was shocked by the hauler summons, and humorously suggested the pair might require “couples counseling.”
Smith appeared to be direct and blunt about the fact that the relationship between him and Hocevar is damaged beyond repair. Interestingly, in Chicago, Hocevar did not actually ruin Smith’s race. The No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse rammed into the No. 77 Chevrolet seemingly out of pure frustration. And Smith, in his interview ahead of this weekend’s Quaker State 400, admitted that he’ll treat Hocevar the way he’s always been treated.
“Yeah, I mean, I have no problem with anyone else, and I’m not going to go create the trouble,” Smith said. ‘But I just am a big believer in how I’ll race you on how you race me. So until he proves that to me, we’ll go from there.”
Zane Smith starts 34th in Atlanta, while Hocevar lines up 14th. A safe distance separates them at the start, but the chaotic, pack-racing nature of the Atlanta track means they will likely cross paths again before the race ends.