Controversial NASCAR Cup Series driver fires warning after Chicago wreck

Carson Hocevar has warned that he has no plans of taking things more gently in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Last year's Cup Series Rookie of the Year was the protagonist of yet another race-altering wreck last weekend in Chicago, but has insisted to Dale Earnhardt Jr. that he never wants to be in a position where he looks back and regrets not pushing as hard as he could for a race win.

Hocevar has become a pantomime villain in the sport in a very short time, with a number of veteran drivers calling him out over his aggressive style.

Austin Dillon called the 22-year-old 'the biggest dumbass in the sport' after last weekend's wreck on the fourth lap in Chicago, a sentiment also expressed by others throughout the season.

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Hocevar: I'd rather lose going 100%

Speaking on Earnhardt's Dale Jr. Download this week, Hocevar said: "I wanted to be a fan of me. I didn't want to take my lumps and just miss out on these opportunities.

"Every race is an opportunity, and ever since I got in a Cup car I was like 'they want me to ride around today. That's what you're going to do, you're going to run 30th, and you're going to have to learn to get out of the way'. I was just like, sh*t, is this what y'all think of me?

"That was the easiest I was, ever, going into a race. I had more pressure driving your Xfinity car than that Cup car. Like, I thought I was supposed to win in this, and they're telling me as long as I'm three laps down I did a good job. I'd much rather lose out going 100% and it not being good enough.

"That's how it was, and I've just carried that through of thinking every race is an opportunity, you never know when the last one is, and when you're done, no matter if it's 20 years from now, you're always going to look back and be like 'man, I think I could've won this one if I'd tried harder or knew this back then'."

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