Asked to compare Carson Hocevar’s carefree attitude and aggressive driving style with those of past NASCAR drivers, three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano said he couldn’t think of a driver with a similar combination of traits.
"He's definitely different; he's unique," Logano said. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. There's a lot of things I'm like, 'Huh, that's just a whole different way of doing it.'"
While other drivers have criticized Hocevar, 23, for pushing the limits of what they consider dangerous driving, Logano, 36, has taken a different view, reserving judgment and suggesting that NASCAR benefits from outlandish personalities who add to the sport’s entertainment value.
losers as Joey Logano wins, Carson Hocevar spars with Ryan Blaney
"He's a walking highlight reel," Logano said. "And there's a lot of good to be said about that. There's a lot of great things about that for the sport, for him, for his team."
Carson Hovecar keeps NASCAR fans on the edge of their seats
Hocevar did not have a driver's license when Logano won his first Cup championship in 2018. Logano won his last championship in 2024 when Hocevar was in his first full Cup season.
Logano has enjoyed watching Hocevar become such a popular, albeit polarizing figure, in NASCAR.
"Whether it's restarts or the instances that he's in, you kind of know that something's gonna happen," Logano said. "There's not many times after a race that we're not talking about him, that he made a move, did something. Good or bad, it's just always a storyline."
Logano, driver of the No. 22 Ford Penske Ford, even cares enough about Hocevar to offer him some sage advice as Hocevar's popularity continues to grow.
"I will say there is balance; like, what are we trying to accomplish?" Logano said. "Are we trying to accomplish highlights, or are we trying to win championships? You've kind of got to look at that and say what's right and what's wrong? But everyone's got their own way of going about things."
Heading into the Oct. 4 race at Las Vegas (4:30 p.m., USA Network), Logano is fourth in the NASCAR Chasepoint standings and 67 points behind the leader Kyle Larson. Hocevar is 11th and 150 points back.
Joey Logano confident NASCAR will honor Kyle Busch's legacy at Las Vegas
Kyle Busch’s career has been recognized on the NASCAR circuit since his death on May 21, 2026. Some tributes have been more prominent than others depending on the track, with a special celebration expected at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Busch’s home track.
There was significant recognition paid to Busch at Bristol, where Logano won on Sept. 19.
Busch won eight Cup Series races at Bristol. Ty Gibbs drove the No. 54 Toyota with a special M&M's mosaic tribute paint scheme to honor Busch at Bristol, where Busch's wife Samantha and her children, Brexton and Lennix, took part in pre-race remembrances.
"There's been some races that stand out," Logano said. "We just went through one at Bristol and we saw what Ty Gibbs did, and having Brexton there and Samantha and everybody. At some tracks, unfortunately, it seems like we've just moved on a little too quickly. It has been special that we have races like this one coming up. And Charlotte (Oct. 11) seems like it will be another where we can spend a little bit of time thinking about one of the legends in our sport and the impact that he made."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Joey Logano called Carson Hocevar a 'walking highlight reel'
