Denny Hamlin Says Toyota Drivers Agreed Not to Push Carson Hocevar to Victory

Denny Hamlin said Toyota drivers have agreed not to push Carson Hocevar toward a victory in NASCAR Cup races. Speaking on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Hamlin stated that drivers in a meeting declared they would withhold assistance regardless of circumstances.

“I mean, there are drivers in our meeting today that say no matter what, they will not push Carson Hocevar to a victory,” Hamlin said.

Hamlin also noted the risks of accumulating enemies in the sport. “This sport is just one of those things where you don’t have to have a lot of friends, but you definitely can’t have a lot of enemies,” he said. He observed that no great driver in NASCAR history had lacked respect from peers.

The remarks follow a public feud between Hocevar and Zane Smith. During the NASCAR Cup race at Chicagoland, Smith wrecked both Hocevar and himself. NASCAR summoned the drivers to the hauler in Atlanta the following weekend.

He added that the meeting did not alter their mutual dislike. The pair had earlier run-ins at Iowa last year. NASCAR issued no penalties after the Chicagoland incident. Yardbarker.com reported the details from the podcast and related coverage of the drivers’ conflict.