NASCAR star claims Cup Series rival has stolen his nickname

Carson Hocevar is making waves in NASCAR in 2025, sometimes without even trying.

The exciting 22-year-old talent has been at the center of a number of flashpoints during race weekends this season as he ruffles feathers in Cup Series combat.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series legend demands change as champion slams 'DISGUSTING' tradition

The latest beef came last weekend when he was confronted on pit road by a member of the Front Row Motorsports team, and greeted memorably with: “Hey, when you gonna learn to f***ing drive, dude. I mean, you wipe us the f*** out.”

Hocevar finished the day with a promising eighth place, cementing his reputation as a driver to follow in the coming years. And even before the action had started he had raised one very particular eyebrow when NBC announcer Leigh Diffey referred to him as ‘Hurricane Hocevar’.

Now that nickname fits Carson nicely you might think, and that’s fine, but there is one other driver who believes he was the original ‘Hurricane’ and it was his title to lose.

Hamlin says he was the OG 'Hurricane'

That would be 44-year-old NASCAR Cup Series great Denny Hamlin, who was something of a whirlwind himself back in the day.

When told about this on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said to co-host Jared Allen: “Jared, should we break out the T-shirt?”

“There is already a hurricane,” Jared responded before Hamlin continued: “Yeah, Hurricane Hamlin. It’s been around for years. I’ve got T-shirts.”

When another co-host said they didn’t recall Denny carrying this particular nickname, Jared had to set him straight.

“You haven't walked down memory lane in this house. There are news articles, Hurricane Hamlin, Hurricane Hamlin, there are news clippings.”

So does Denny actually care?

So while Hamlin claims he was the OG ‘Hurricane’, does it actually bother him that Hocevar has apparently replaced him? It seems not.

“I don’t give a s**t,” said the most successful Cup Series driver never to win a championship.

READ MORE: NASCAR star hit with big penalty ahead of Watkins Glen race

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