Carson Hocevar issues a ‘bad circumstances’ justification as he owns up to his collision with Jeb Burton

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar made big strides with his second-place finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. But this time at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the driver became the first victim of the revamped track during the Xfinity Series race.

The Stock Car Racing Association changed the features of the Austin, Texas-based road course for the 2025 season, boasting a 2.3-mile track length with 20 turns, putting a test of the driver's abilities. The 22-year-old got caught up by the turns in the early stage of the 65-lap race.

Carson Hocevar drove the #14 SS Greenlight Racing Chevrolet in the Focused Health 250 race on Saturday, March 1, 2025. On lap four, he was ahead of rival driver Jeb Butron in the #27, and the duo was battling for the spot. A slight contact with Burton's front end at turn 6a sent Hocevar into the guardrails, ending his day.

During a post-race interview, the #14 driver reflected upon the same and explained:

"I mean, I didn't, I didn't have a radio in the whole race, so I kind of opened up my entry. And it's kind of a bad corner for that. You know, I did the same thing to Shane at the Roval. So, yeah, just kind of bad circumstances, really. I don't even know really who it was, 100%, but if I'll take the blame."

"I'm sure he was down there or something. So yeah, I just didn't hear anything or have any sort of communication. I didn't think they could hear me either. So it's kind of a bad deal, but big thanks to Trophy Tractor for everything," he added.

Carson Hocevar finished the race in last place at P38, whereas JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch took home the victory after securing the pole position.

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“Glowingly Positive”: Carson Hocevar after conversation with HMS and Chevy driver amid the Atlanta controversy

Recently, NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar opened up about the last-lap incident at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending a fellow Chevy driver's chance to win the race. The Spire Motorsports driver expected heightened tension among the drivers, but he said the conversations were “glowingly positive.”

During the last lap of the race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Christopher Bell, was in the top lane. A bump allowed him to snatch the win from Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson before the race stopped during a caution. Later, in a report by Sportsnaut, Carson Hocevar agreed that the last-lap incident was messy. He said:

"I was curious to see how those conversations would go on Monday with Chevrolet and Hendrick, and all of those were glowingly positive," Hocevar said during a media availability at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday.

The Portage, Michigan, native added:

"For that, I’m in an appreciative spot that they let me go race. They see the plans and moves, and I can appreciate that as a competitor that they let me have that freedom."

Christopher Bell won the Atlanta race, followed by Hocevar in second place and Kyle Larson in third. Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were among the top five drivers.