​July 25, 2026, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: CARSON HOCEVAR 77 – Spire Motorsports is interview as he awaits the results of other drivers during qualifying for the 30th running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Brickyard 400. Indianapolis USA – ZUMAs355 20260725_zsp_s355_025 Copyright: xJustinxSickingx ©IMAGO/ZUMA Press WireGood news for Denny Hamlin and anyone else who was worried about the maturity of those inside Spire Motorsports. We now have official confirmation that there indeed are adults running the Chevrolet team. This news, of course, comes on the back of comments that the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran made on his podcast after Darlington.While those questions were raised because of the antics of Carson Hocevar, it was the No. 71 Spire Chevrolet driver Michael McDowell who provided the confirmation on adults operating Spire Motorsports. McDowell explained that he isn’t online much, and he feels bad for the guy whose job it is to get him up-to-date before media interactions.“There are a lot of adults at Spire,” McDowell said in a video posted to Instagram by Official Speed Freaks. “There are. I understand the comment. I do. I understand what he’s saying because not everything’s public. Nobody knows the conversations that I’m having with Carson behind closed doors. And that’s how I’m wired anyways. I wouldn’t want everybody to know.”The comment that McDowell said he understood came after Hocevar’s bust-up with RFK Racing’s No. 6, Brad Keselowski, in the first Chase race at Darlington.
Keselowski held ground against Hocevar on fresher tires, and the Spire 77 driver nudged the departing RFK owner-driver twice to spin him out.A veteran driver finally addresses the drama surrounding Carson Hocevar’s controversial behavior. Stay tuned to EssentiallySports for the inside story on NASCAR’s latest paddock tensions.“There are no adults in the room, clearly, in that building,” were Hamlin’s comments on his podcast. “No adults. That’s my opinion. Because how can you honestly think that that’s what’s best for your company? If you’re running a serious organization, I think they’re unserious.”Hamlin said that because Hocevar was made an enemy of a driver who wasn’t even in the Chase and a dangerous one to make an enemy out of. But it wasn’t just one track. Off track, Keselowski warned Hocevar of payback, while the Spire driver showed his usual don’t-care mentality and said that he wasn’t sure how Keselowski spun.But it wasn’t just at the circuit. It escalated when Hocevar went to his social media and announced a six percent discount on his merchandise as an added dig to spinning the No. 6 driver out of his way, which is why McDowell said he understands the perspective.“We all know what we’re doing,” McDowell said. “And we have a young knucklehead driver that likes stirring the pot. But for the rest of us, we’re working really hard, trying to make sure that our race cars are going