Kevin Harvick defends Carson Hocevar after dust up with Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney

Kevin Harvick decided to take Carson Hocevar’s side after the young wheelman was receiving the lion share of the blame for an incident involving Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Hocevar’s been an easy target over the last couple of weeks, as his aggressive driving style has rubbed his fellow peers the wrong way. During the latest episode of Harvick’s Happy Hour, the former Cup Series champion explained that while he’s been critical of Hocevar, this accident wasn’t on him.

“We saw an incident that was very similar to the [Ryan] Preece incident, where he was in the middle. The two cars on the inside and outside didn’t know (Jimmie Johnson) was really there. This is the exact same scenario that started this wreck, with [Carson] Hocevar kind of poking his nose in the middle, and then you had [Ryan] Blaney on the outside that just came down the race track, didn’t really know he was there,” Harvick explained. “I don’t remember who was on the inside, but they caused a crash, and when Blaney got turned to the left, it actually hooked the right-rear of Jimmie Johnson, which hooked the left-rear of Joey Logano, and all of those guys wound up in the fence.”

“So, the only thing I could say, when you look right here, I don’t think Hocevar is doing anything wrong. He’s clearly in the middle of the race track, and the No. 12 comes down on him.”

Event though Harvick believes this particular wreck wasn’t Hocevar’s fault, he understands why a myriad of drivers are placing the blame on the No. 77, as his reputation is preceding him at the moment.

“With this many guys that are frustrated with Hocevar, at this point, it’s always going to be his fault, because it seems like he’s in the middle of a lot of things, and I think that just comes with time,” Harvick added. “Being able to have the understanding of when to stick your nose in there, when to not try to take a position, or when to hit a guy or when to not hit a guy, or when to spin a guy out under caution, or when to not spin a guy out under a caution. But you hear so many guys talk about Hocevar, and how frustrated they are with the way that he races, and the things that he does, that it just seems like it’s always going to be his fault, at this particular point.

“You go through spells. I’ve been through spells, of times like that, but he’s definitely going to have to learn the Cup style of racing is much rougher than it used to be, and you’ve got to be, you’re got to err to the aggressive side, but he’s definitely getting the brunt of the blame from (the drivers).”

Evidently, Harvick still believes Hocevar is talented, and he reiterated the opinion that the wreck wasn’t his doing, but the No. 77 is an easy target at the moment for the rest of the field. Harvick believes that comes with the territory at the moment.

“I just listen. I listed to all the guys that just talk about Hocevar, and they make these kind of comments towards the way that he’s doing things, and the way that he’s going about it, but I think a lot of that comes with your rookie year, and when you’re a guy that stands on the gas, and is worried about going forward and trying to go fast, you’re going to have some of these moments,” Harvick elaborated. “So, he’s definitely in a character building year. … He’s still having (bright moments), but they’re getting harder, because guys just keep cutting him less and less slack, because they feel like they’re getting run into, in situations that they shouldn’t be getting run into.

“But I don’t think that was his fault, but they’re all going to blame it on him, because he’s the guy that’s easy to blame it on right now. But that particular instance, I think the No. 12 chops the No. 77 not knowing that he’s there. That’s how I viewed it.”

Alas, Carson Hocevar will have a couple of weeks to think about what he can do differently over the rest of the season, as NASCAR enters a mini hiatus due to the Olympics. When the Cup Series returns on Aug. 11, we’ll see if the young wheelman has a different attitude, and continues to shine on the track.