Carson Hocevar reacts to Josh Berry apology: ‘We just go race’

DOVER, Del. -- Although Carson Hocevar recognizes Josh Berry's sincerity in wanting to reach out following an on-track incident at Sonoma Raceway last weekend, the 22-year-old Spire Motorsports driver maintains his opinion when it comes to on-track scuffles and discussions thereafter. The circumstance came during the NASCAR Cup Series' Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, where a late-race bump from Berry's No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford during the contest's waning laps resulted in the No. 77 Chevrolet spinning through the grass and finishing 32nd. Berry stated that he attempted to reach out to Hocevar but received no response. RELATED: Dover schedule | At-track photos: Dover "I mean, it's just racing," Hocevar said at Dover Motor Speedway regarding the Sonoma incident and Berry's attempted exchange afterward. "I mean, sometimes, you know, stuff happens. We're all in the limit of everything of all people, right? I'm on the limit of everything. So, yeah, it doesn't bother me. I don't really like the whole 'have to call' and do that and have to apologize on Monday, say whatever, right? Because, I mean, even if you do it intentionally or not, you're never going to say that to the person. "So, it just kind of just becomes a pony show a little bit. So, you know, if I don't like it ... it's a little weird for me. I've never been on this side of it, but yeah. I'm just kind of just going through the actions of it. I don't really like doing it, or I don't like how it is, so, yeah, I mean, I appreciate the apology or whatever, but I think we just go race, that's part of it." Hocevar has taken the Cup Series world by storm during his sophomore 2025 campaign, and while the Michigan native currently stands 96 points below the playoff elimination line, his aggressive nature and speedy No. 77 Chevy have illustrated to drivers and fans alike what his racing style is. Of course, such an aggressive style has led to numerous feather-ruffling moments for the young Hocevar during the 2025 campaign. Among other incidents, Hocevar has had run-ins with Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) in February and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville Superspeedway and then again two weeks later at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. With an outgoing personality and a no-regrets mindset, Hocevar's viewpoint is simple when it comes to on-track friendships. "I just don't like fakeness," Hocevar said. "I like genuineness, and I know how I am as a driver and I think we're all two-faced, so I just might as well just cut it at the cord and know my friends are my friends. It's always just awkward when you're on the limits and run into your friends and whatever. I've just had that from quarter midgets and everything, and you race your friends differently. I mean, I do it on iRacing even. I don't sometimes like racing my friends because sometimes they want me to push them or do everything, and it just reminds me of, just like, man, imagine if we were doing it where our jobs were at stake and investment money and everything. "We have that feeling of that when it means nothing on a video game. So, yeah, it's a lot easier to know my friends are in my circle. We just go racing. That's it. I don't need anyone." MORE: Cup Series standings | Cup Series schedule While outside noise geared toward Hocevar might be louder compared to other Cup Series pilots, the young racer understands the importance of carrying himself with confidence and maintaining his opinion. "I'm just doing all the genuine stuff I'd want to do," Hocevar said. "If people want to enjoy that, or like it or dislike it, that's good. It's sustainable for me because I would be doing it if one person was watching or 10,000. I'd be racing the same way, whether zero people are making noise or not. So the fact they're making noise by what I want to do and what I'm doing is cool. Hopefully, we sell T-shirts and help move the sport forward. But other than that, if I had to pretend to act a certain way or drive a certain way to appease fans, I'd probably hang it up and go find something different."