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It’s finally official. Carson Hocevar and Denny Hamlin are rivals.
Hamlin gave Hocevar the old finger out of his No. 11 window after an aggressive battle that resulted in a contact in Stage 1. It all happened during last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro, marking the series’ return to the track for the first time in 30 years.
Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, thought it would be better to have the driver out to gain track positions, rather than prioritizing tire wear. The plan worked, and Hamlin was able to hold off a fast-charging Hocevar to finish the stage in P4. But in the process, Hamlin drew ire from the Spire Motorsports standout.
Speaking about the incident on his podcast, the two-time Daytona 500 winner said, “We raced hard. There was one time… He really tries to slide guys a ton. He goes in there and just overdrives and then uses his right rear to move you up. So I know that tendency. I planned for it and drove accordingly, so I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t drive in really deep to not let him ever clear.”
However, there was one time Hocevar slipped up and got on his side. Hamlin gave him the finger as if saying, “No, don’t do that.” They never made contact again. “We wanted to stay aggressive with our track position, and it was a net gain for us. It was a battle. I was doing everything I could to hold all the track position,” he added.
Denny Hamlin finished second, despite putting up the hardest fight against race-winner Joey Logano. But he knew Logano deserved it. The Penske star hadn’t won in a year, and at North Wilkesboro, he showed outward dominance. He said,“I thought it was a really impressive drive from (Logano). He maneuvered through traffic really well and did everything that we know Joey to do.”
Logano led a career-high 323 laps en route to Victory Lane, his 38th all-time. It was also his maiden victory of the 2026 season.
Denny Hamlin Weighs In On North Wilkesboro’s NASCAR Future: “A Racey Track”
Denny Hamlin is all for NASCAR returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2027. In his words, it’s a “racey track,” one that reminds him of Bristol. North Wilkesboro entered the NASCAR scene in 2023 and became the home for its All-Star event for the next three years. Last Sunday, NASCAR hosted its first points-paying race since 1966 at the historic racetrack.
Well, Hamlin didn’t specify if he would like another points race at the 0.625-mile oval. He simply said, “I mean, I’m for a race at North Wilkesboro. How about that? That’s where I’ll stand on it.”
“It’s a racey track,” he added. “It reminds me a lot of Bristol. When they changed Bristol from its one groove track and then they re-concreted it, put variable banking, they ground it—next thing you know, we were racing all around Bristol from the bottom to the top.”
For now, all eyes are on Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will host the 30th Brickyard 400 this Sunday, July 26. Fans can watch the event live on TNT Sports or listen to radio updates on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
