The NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 race at Nashville was poised to be another showpiece of aggressive but calculated Cup competition, until Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar collided in a mid-pack battle that stole headlines. Hocevar, attempting to carve an inside line, misjudged the entry into Turn 3 and tagged the rear of Stenhouse’s #47 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, sending it into the garage before the checkered flag. The rivalry heated up for the next couple of days as Stenhouse Jr. waited for an apology from the other.

Although there were rumors of a possible confrontation between the two in the next race at Michigan, as Stenhouse had pointed out earlier in an interview, “I haven’t got a call from him… If I don’t hear from him by the weekend, I’ll probably confront him and we’ll figure it out,” it wasn’t taken as a joke by many as it was evident from Sternhouse’s clash with Kyle Busch last year after the All-Star race, that he could go to any extent to get that apology. But this time around, he has decided to take a different approach.

Hocevar reached out to the Hyak Motorsports drivers and explained himself. He knew that making more enemies in the garage would only hamper his chances of winning this year. “You don’t want to do anything more to put a bigger target on your back.” And this worked out well in the end for all the parties involved. Meanwhile, Stenhouse Jr. also opened up about the conversation he had with Hocevar, suggesting he wouldn’t mind a rivalry that is worth something on the track.

Stenhouse Jr. emphasizes playoff contention over payback

In an interview with Sirius XM NASCAR, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was seen talking about his rivalry with Hocevar at the Nashville Superspeedway. “I know what happened, but it’s part of racing at the same time, right?” said Ricky. “I think after Carson called me this week, I definitely see where he was thinking that he could get to the inside of me before we turned down into the corner. Problem was, he didn’t.” Hocevar was committed to making that corner on lap 106, while #47 Chevy, who was in the lead, tried defending the position. None of them backed and which led to the contact and first DNF of the season for Stenhouse Jr.

“He said he had committed to thinking he was going to, and unfortunately just misjudged it and ran right in the back of us,” continued Ricky. Carson Hocevar had also given a statement later, after having promised to rewatch the moment and then speak on it. “I didn’t want to wreck him. I went in and I thought I could get there and get a little more space,” said Hocevar. “For his arc, I thought he was gonna go run the middle with the 54 [Ty Gibbs] running the bottom and thought I could get in a little deeper and have his spotter call inside and he just came all the way down and I landed into his left rear. Backed him into the fence. I don’t wanna do that and I feel bad for it, obviously, for wrecking somebody’s race car.”

In the aftermath of the crash, Hocevar still managed a runner-up finish, tying his best finish from earlier this year, and gained a massive bump in points tally. But the same cannot be said for the #47 team, which is running a single-car operation and can’t afford a crash; it would directly impact their chances to make it into the playoffs. “I told Carson, ‘I don’t mind a good rivalry, but I don’t want a rivalry for running 15th.’ Like if we’re battling for wins and battling in the top five week in and week out, that’s great. But having a rivalry, not competing for wins, is kind of difficult.”

But the crash did have consequences. For Stenhouse, it meant losing momentum after stringing together strong finishes and slipping in the playoff point race, which could be a costly setback for himself and Hyak Motorsports, a team intent on climbing back into playoff relevance. Heading into the Nashville weekend, Stenhouse Jr was inside the top 16, but after the race, he dropped down to 18th place.

Still, Stenhouse Jr. appreciated the camaraderie that Hocevar showed even in tough situations and flaring rivalry. “Carson and I hadn’t had any issues before, and so I appreciate him reaching out and just explaining what his thought process was in it,” the driver added. For now, it seems like the only thing that the two drivers and their teams are chasing is the finish line, rather than a feud, but has NASCAR ever been enjoyable without one?

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Stenhouse Jr. eyes redemption with new sponsorship

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be seen rolling into Michigan with a bold new look and an even bolder attitude this weekend. After a rough battle in Nashville, Stenhouse has returned with the backing of Real American Beer, a brand founded by WWE icon Hulk Hogan. This marks their 2nd collaboration of the season, and the #47 Chevy will sport a special paint scheme for this weekend’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. 

Looking ahead, Stenhouse reflected on his team’s resilience after the Nashville setback, saying, “We didn’t get the result we were after in Nashville, and that’s frustrating for sure. But this team’s got heart. We’ve put in the work this week, and we’re heading to Michigan with a clean slate and a fast Real American Beer Chevy.” 

Excitement for the brand’s return was echoed by Hulk Hogan himself, who hyped up the Michigan crowd and the synergy between NASCAR and the Real American Beer spirit, saying, “Brother, Michigan knows how to go full throttle—and so does Real American Beer. We’re back on the track, back in the fight, and there’s no better time to crack one open and let it rip.” The brand’s CEO, Terri Francis, also emphasized that motorsports fans remain central to their outreach, and the WWE star Jimmy Hart will also be on-site, adding another layer of entertainment to the race weekend.

Now, as the on-track rivalry is ready to unfold again, will Stenhouse Jr. finally succeed in earning more playoff points this weekend with a rejuvenated energy, or will he have to wait a little longer for success?