Denny Hamlin is one of the best drivers in NASCAR right now, tied for the Cup Series lead with three wins in his age-44 season. With NASCAR in desperate need of new faces for the future, Hamlin believes Carson Hocevar can be one of those drivers who lead the sport's next generation of dominance.
Over the weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Hamlin explained why Hocevar can become a "superstar" and one of the next NASCAR drivers down the line.
"You can't run as fast as he's running, being up front as much as he's up front, without eventually winning. I know that panic can sometimes set in. It's like, 'Gah, we lost this opportunity,' but he's with a team that's on the rise. He is on the rise and so, it's just a matter of time"
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Carson Hocevar stats ( NASCAR.com ):304 points, 3 top 10s, 2 top 5s, 1 pole, 4 DNFs, 70 laps led, 19.133 average starting position, 22.067 average finishing position
Hocevar, age 22, has been one of the top drivers as of late. In the last six races, per DriverAverages.com , Hocevar has two top-10 finishes. He was leading the field late in the FireKeepers Casino 400 before his tire blew, though he was going to run out of gas before the finish. In the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hocevar was on the front row at Lap 308 when his engine blew. Despite the two issues with his car, he still has the seventh-most laps led (63) over the last six races.
Hamlin has been critical of Hocevar at times publicly, including on the Actions Detrimental episode following the race in Nashville. The future Hall of Famer weighed in on Hocevar wrecking Ricky Stenhouse Jr., guaranteeing there would be payback later by Stenhouse. However, Hamlin also recognizes elite talent when he sees it and believes Hocevar has one of the brightest futures in the sport.
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"I certainly give him his fair share of s*** on Mondays on my podcast, but that doesn't mean I don't respect his talent. Absolutely, just a superstar when it comes to actual raw talent. When he figures out how to harness that and pick and choose the moments where he's aggressive, he's going to put it all together and just be the next whoever. There's five to six elite drivers in this field, he can be one of those five or six very easily when he puts it all together."
Denny Hamlin stats ( NASCAR.com ): 494 points, 3 wins, 8 top 10s, 7 top 5s, 2 DNFs, 455 laps led, 11.733 average starting position, 13.467 average finishing position
Even without driving for one of the top teams, Hocevar has demonstrated outstanding speed and is consistently working his way toward the front of the field. While he still drives overaggressively, at times wrecking others, some of that comes with youth and an overeager desire to record that first Cup Series win.
Hocevar isn't one of the most well-liked drivers in the Cup Series, but his talent is outstanding and his personality is much needed at a time when many Cup Series drivers have become coached up and PR-friendly. Even if Hocevar can't become the next Kyle Busch, he will have a significant impact on the sport's future.
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