Denny Hamlin was having such a miserable afternoon at Phoenix Raceway that he found himself rooting for something most NASCAR drivers would rather avoid: a wreck.
And he knew exactly which driver he wanted involved.
As Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain traded blows on the track during Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500, Hamlin watched from behind, hoping their increasingly aggressive battle would end with a caution flag.
The reason was simple. Hamlin was a lap down, and a yellow flag could give him the free pass he desperately needed.
On the latest episode of his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Hamlin admitted he was pulling for Hocevar to do what Hocevar has become rather notorious for doing.
Denny Hamlin Admits He Was Cheering for Carson Hocevar to Cause a Wreck
“Yeah, I was right behind this, and man, I wish Carson would have ended up wiping them out,” Hamlin said. “He did get run into.”
Hamlin was referring to the late-race battle between Hocevar and Chastain, which grew increasingly heated as the two drivers made contact.
From Hamlin’s vantage point, the situation looked like it was heading toward a wreck.
“One of the drivers ran into Carson. Ross did. Well, they were trying to wreck each other for… I’m sure there’ll be some video come out here in the next day or so. They were taking major swipes at each other. I saw Carson take a major swipe at the No. 1 mid-corner and miss.”
Then came the admission that made his account particularly entertaining.
“As someone that was sitting in the lucky dog position, I was like, ‘Please wreck. Come on, just… Carson, I’m rooting for you. Just do Carson things here.'”
Hamlin didn’t get the caution he wanted, but he certainly got an entertaining view of the battle.
“And he was so close. Damn it,” Hamlin added.
For a driver trying to salvage a difficult afternoon, watching two competitors come tantalizingly close to crashing without actually bringing out a yellow was apparently its own kind of frustration.
Hamlin Questions Hocevar’s Decision Before Zane Smith Confrontation
Hamlin also offered an interesting perspective on the contact that helped set off the post-race confrontation between Hocevar and Zane Smith.
According to Hamlin, Chastain sent Hocevar toward Turn 3 during their battle, but what happened next caught his attention.
“What was interesting about when Ross sent him in there is Carson didn’t hit the brakes,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin suggested Hocevar might have deliberately carried his speed into the corner, even with other cars in his path.
“He’s like, you’re going to run into me. I’m going to just… I’m just going to carry that speed all the way in. Whoever I run into, I run into.”
Still, Hamlin acknowledged another possible explanation: Hocevar might have been struggling to regain control of his car.
He ultimately made contact with two drivers, whom Hamlin identified as Smith and Josh Berry.
“And he ended up getting two guys. I think it was Zane and Josh Berry. I mean, two guys that have no love for Carson whatsoever. Right? So anyway, nothing really happened. They just made contact.”
The tension didn’t end there.
After the checkered flag, Smith rammed Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet during the cooldown lap, and the two later exchanged heated words on pit road.
Hamlin, meanwhile, finished 28th, one lap down, after a frustrating day that did little to help his championship hopes.
But even without the caution he was hoping for, the veteran driver had plenty to say about the chaos unfolding directly in front of him.
And his confession that he was actively cheering for Hocevar to cause a wreck might be one of the more entertaining takeaways from an already eventful afternoon at Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin Admits He Was Rooting for Carson Hocevar to Wreck at Phoenix