While Carson Hocevar was flipping off Corey Heim and letting the driver of the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota live rent-free in his head, continuing an ongoing saga that dates back to their Craftsman Truck Series days, Heim was busy collecting another checkered flag in only his 15th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
Not since A.J. Foyt in 1965 had a driver won twice in his first 15 career Cup starts, and both of Foyt's wins came at the same track.
Heim didn't even notice Hocevar letting his emotions get the best of him in the moment. Hocevar flipped Heim off out the window as Heim, unlike Hocevar, placed full focus on his own race and made a routine pit stop.
It took TNT Sports' obsession with the antics of Hocevar, who was ironically told on the radio that passing Heim would not be for the win, for Heim to be made aware of Hocevar's gesture after the race, when he was asked his thoughts about it.
"I handed him a big fat L after that one," Heim responded after seeing the video.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Carson Hocevar isn't changing, but is he hurting himself?
The media has long compared Hocevar to Dale Earnhardt for no other reason than the fact that he runs into people and doesn't care. He's "exciting to watch".
Hocevar himself thinks, acts, and talks like he's the second coming of Dale, Ricky Bobby, and prime Kyle Busch all rolled into one.
Sure, it's hard not to respect the personality in a day and age that sees largely corporate-controlled attitudes from drivers scared of sponsor backlash for saying literally anything other than the usual scripted lines fans don't really want to hear.
But are fans really tuning in to watch Carson Hocevar manufacture storylines?
Because as much as it's hard not to respect Hocevar's willingness to buck modern personality trends, it's equally hard not to realize just how overblown and overhyped the whole "Hocevar is saving NASCAR" narrative is until he actually starts winning.
While he's young, and Spire Motorsports most certainly hasn't been a top-tier team (until this year, arguably), he's had multiple opportunities to change that.
What has he done?
His lone win in 103 starts is a superspeedway win at Talladega. When any other driver wins on a superspeedway (think about your Austin Dillons, Michael McDowells, Austin Cindrics, and Ricky Stenhouses of the world), nobody is taking him seriously unless he actually makes a significant impact elsewhere. We're told they're nothing more than draft merchants with no actual skill.
Let's not forget the other three superspeedway races, which he had a chance to win on the closing lap (but didn't).
As much as Hocevar's personality might be considered a breath of fresh air, perhaps it's Heim whose honesty and frankness is what fans should be welcoming.
In the post-race media conference, he also got a ton of questions about Hocevar.
"You guys love talking about a guy who finished ninth," he responded.
He is one of the few who recognizes Hocevar for what he currently is. And he has the advantage of getting to beat him while doing it, even before actually becoming a full-time Cup driver.
Carson Hocevar is not a villain, yet
Earnhardt was a seven-time Cup champion. Busch won a record 234 races across all three national series. They earned the right to be classified as "villains". They were formidable opponents.
On the flip side (no pun intended), Hocevar is a significant factor when it comes to soundbites and clips that make the highlight reels for all the wrong reasons.
He is an unusually loud supporting character in a show without a villain, but that lack of a villain doesn't make him one by default just because he wants to be, or even because the media and the fanbase so desperately need him to be to support their weak narrative that he's NASCAR's news "Intimidator".
Again, credit to him for being himself in a day and age where NASCAR personalities are perhaps best illustrated by the obligatory sip of Coca-Cola that those drivers do every time they have to talk on camera. Hocevar doesn't fit that mold, and that it is indeed exciting to watch.
But if Hocevar is "singlehandedly saving NASCAR" like NASCAR Redditors will have you believe, why do ratings continue to decline?
A net positive for the sport, sure. But let's not make him something he's not.
Would it be great if he becomes a villain? Absolutely. And it would be great if he and Heim actually do generate a real rivalry and get to battle for wins and championships down the line.
We're not rooting against him or calling him some sort of talentless bum. He's fifth in the standings, notably Chevrolet's top driver in a season that has seen Spire Motorsports challenge Hendrick Motorsports as the manufacturer's top team.
But right now, him saying things like other drivers need to step up to the plate and face him is totally laughable. While his rivals may get tired of him, absolutely nobody is showing up to the race track with the goal of beating Carson Hocevar.
Again, what has he done?
Flipping off Corey Heim in the middle of a race isn't an answer. And neither is wrecking [insert any one of about 20 names of drivers he's wrecked], irrespective of whether or not those drivers put their money with their mouths are as far as payback is concerned.
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