Kyle Larson breaks silence on Carson Hocevar’s antics in Atlanta - “I think you want as little enemies as you can get”

Kyle Larson shared his thoughts on Carson Hocevar's aggressive driving style, which upset several drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway. While Larson had no major on-track issue with Hocevar, he advised the 22-year-old to avoid feuding with other drivers.

Larson, the pilot of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, argued that young drivers could have a tough career if they upset veterans. During the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta, Hocevar made bold moves that upset fellow competitors, including veteran driver Kyle Busch.

Speaking about the Spire Motorsports driver's antics at AMS, Kyle Larson said (via Kyle Dalton on X):

"For me, in particular, in my race, I had no issue. Obviously, I could see the moves he was making and whatnot throughout the whole race. But I don't know, like it's hard for me to sit here and judge because I'm an aggressive driver," Larson said.

"But in the beginning, I also didn't want to ruffle any feathers, especially the veterans of the series," he added. [0:39]

The HMS star recalled Brad Keselowski's early racing days. Keselowski became notorious in the NASCAR grid for his aggressive driving style, with Denny Hamlin saying nobody liked him despite winning the championship in 2012.

Kyle Larson concluded by saying:

"They [NASCAR veterans] can make life tough on you. So, I think you just want as little enemies as you can get coming in."

Kyle Busch blasted Carson Hocevar after the sophomore driver cut him at the end of stage one on Sunday. Ryan Blaney was another driver who criticized Hocevar's driving style after the Team Penske driver was spun out with 27 laps remaining.

Larson, meanwhile, had other troubles at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Notably, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion forced Austin Cindric into the wall in the closing laps, wrecking out of second place and collecting William Byron.

On the final lap, Hocevar pushed Christopher Bell in the top lane, allowing the No. 20 driver to overtake Larson. He then split the two drivers before the caution was thrown to end the race. Bell won the Atlanta spring race followed by Hocevar and Larson, respectively.

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"Bummer not to get a win": Kyle Larson on last-lap showdown with Christopher Bell at Atlanta

Kyle Larson made his feelings known about losing the lead to Christopher Bell on the final lap. The Chevy driver shared feeling "bummed" coming short of a victory, though he was proud of the No. 5 team for the effort early in the season.

In a press release, the 32-year-old driver said:

"I think if I didn’t let the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) get to my outside, I would have had an opportunity, but he would probably split to my inside into (turn) one and clear me. If I don’t hesitate, the wreck probably doesn’t happen. So yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t seen a replay yet. But yeah, bummer not to get a win."

He added:

"I’m proud of the effort today by this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team. We had a lot of fun. It was super intense."

Kyle Larson driving the No. 5 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

With Kyle Larson losing the lead on the final lap, the No. 5 driver failed to secure his first victory in a superspeedway-like race. However, he recorded his first stage win (stage 2) on a drafting track.