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- Dale Jr.’s Warning to Carson Hocevar After Recent On-Track Drama.
Dale Jr.’s Warning to Carson Hocevar After Recent On-Track Drama.

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’s wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes — we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁
Our latest edition of the newsletter covers :
Dale Jr.’s warning to Carson Hocevar after recent on-track drama…
Kyle Petty calls Dale Sr.'s merch ranking a “sad statement” for NASCAR.
Kyle Busch and Truex Jr. list their multimillion-dollar properties.
Who’s really controlling the 2025 Cup season — beyond Hendrick and Gibbs?

🏁Inside the Oval
“He Might've Messed With the Wrong Guy": Dale Earnhardt Jr. Warns Carson Hocevar

It’s so good to have Dale Earnhardt Jr. back behind the microphone. He always has an opinion on everything NASCAR, be it good or bad.
After last weekend’s race at Nashville Superspeedway, Junior, Carl Edwards and the rest of the panel dissected the Cup race won by Ryan Blaney.
In addition to Blaney’s win, there was considerable discussion about an on-track incident involving Carson Hocevar. The Portage, Michigan, native has quickly earned a reputation as a bad guy on the track, having been involved in several incidents with opponents. Hocevar's latest transgression came at Nashville, where he ended Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s race.
Stenhouse was going into Turn 3 and thought Hocevar would go lower on the track. That’s not what happened, though. Hocevar kept his line, didn’t move, then made contact with Stenhouse, sending him into the wall and out of the race.
Stenhouse has vowed retaliation, which is not a surprise to Earnhardt, who issued a bit of friendly — but poignant — advice to Hocevar.
“I’ll be honest, I like what I see out of Hocevar,” Earnhardt said. “As a fan and as a broadcaster, it is entertaining. I just don’t like it when he wrecks the good guy. … You kinda have to pick and choose who your enemies are — and you just kind of can’t blanket the garage.
“I don’t know if I want him to dial it off or dial it back because it’s great as a fan to see him in controversy. We need a little color and a little personality and he brings tons of it. But the garage will police it a little bit. Nobody’s stepped to him just yet, but I think he might have messed with the wrong guy tonight (namely, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the race at Nashville),” he concluded.

🏁Insider Take
Kyle Petty Explains Why Dale Earnhardt's Name on Merchandise Sales List is a "Sad Statement" for NASCAR

Whether you agree with him or not, Kyle Petty is never at a loss for an opinion. And he hardly minces words. So when NASCAR Holdings released its latest list of best-selling merchandise, with the late great Dale Earnhardt featuring inside the top 10, Petty gave his perspective on what it means for the sport.
A good 24 years after his tragic death on the track, The Intimidator's merchandise sales revenue was the ninth-highest among drivers, even ranking above many current stars.
And two spots ahead of his father, in seventh place, is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired after the 2017 Cup season.
The fact that two of the top 10 individuals on the merchandise top sellers are not even racing any longer concerns Petty a great deal.
“No (surprises), just sadness,” Petty said. “As you look at (the list), if you go by merch sales, Earnhardt always sold, but Bill Elliott was always the Most Popular Driver. So the guy that that didn’t sell the most was the Most Popular Driver.
“When you look at these guys that are (on the list), you’re telling me that there’s no heroes in this sport, because all you have to do is reach back to Earnhardt Sr. and Earnhardt Jr.
"So there’s no heroes in this sport. That’s why I look back at the merch list with sadness, because you’re telling me these guys (most other drivers on the list) aren’t relevant, their souvenir sales aren’t making them relevant. That’s a sad statement to where the sport is," concluded Petty.

🏁 Trackside Trivia
1995: Jeff Gordon's Breakthrough Season
In 1995, 24-year-old Jeff Gordon won his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, becoming the youngest champion in the sport's modern era.
Driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon won seven races and achieved 23 top-10 finishes, showcasing exceptional consistency throughout that season. His performance marked the beginning of a dominant era for both Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports.

💸 Pit Riches
Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.’s Multimillion-Dollar Estate Listings

Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are on the move.
No, Busch isn’t leaving Richard Childress Racing — he has a contract that goes through the 2026 season. And Truex is happily semi-retired from racing, having made just one start this year (the Daytona 500, where he finished 38th due to a crash).
But both drivers have a common thread currently: their houses are up for sale and they’re looking for new addresses — to live in, that is.
Busch has his nearly 15,000 square foot “barndominium” listed, set on 35 pristine acres near Cleveland, N.C., according to the listing.
The price? Chump change for NASCAR drivers and the like at $4.5 million.
Built in 2020 during the COVID outbreak, it’s “thoughtfully designed for automotive collectors, off-roading enthusiasts, and those seeking space to live boldly,” the listing claims. There’s even a “private fuel storage” area, perfect for someone who wants to gas up their Cup cars before heading to the track.
The listing concludes by saying “This estate offers unparalleled luxury and freedom – where adventure meets elegance, and your dreams become reality.”
As for Truex, his ‘European-style manor' on Lake Norman (N.C.) is on the market for a lot more than Busch’s place, being offered for $7.5 million.
It doesn’t include the square footage, but by looking at the photos of the digs, it truly lives up to its listing as a “castle-like mansion.”
Plus, there’s an added bonus as your neighbor would be former Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.
So if you’ve got a few extra bucks burning a hole in your wallet, click on the links to check out both listings.

🎙️ Garage Breakdown
The Spotlight's on Hendrick and Gibbs, But Which Team is Really Holding Most of the Cards This Season?
Who is the top multi-car team thus far this season in NASCAR Cup?
If you said Team Hendrick or Joe Gibbs Racing, you’d be wrong.
But if you said Team Penske, congratulations, you know your NASCAR.
Yep, that’s right, Roger’s boys are the top Cup organization thus far this season — if you base it upon the fact that each Penske driver has at least one win in 2025.
Joey Logano and Austin Cindric have one win each, and Ryan Blaney joined the party with his triumph this past Sunday at Nashville.
And if you include the affiliated Wood Brothers Racing, Josh Berry also has a “W” – meaning that all four Penske drivers have visited victory lane in the first 14 races this season.
Wait, you might say, what about Team Hendrick?
Nope, only William Byron and Kyle Larson have won races this year. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman are still oh-for’s in the win’s category.
Elliott is fifth in the standings, which makes him fairly safe to make the playoffs on points — unless his team totally falls apart in the 12 remaining regular season races.
Bowman, meanwhile, is a concern: he’s 13th in the standings heading into this Sunday’s race in Michigan, just 45 points ahead of 16th-place Ryan Preece, who is currently the cutoff driver for the playoffs.
As for JGR, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell have reached victory lane, but Chase Briscoe is concerning at 11th place. And then there’s Ty Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, who is 27th. Unless a miracle happens for Gibbs — like winning a race in the next 12 on the schedule (which, given his season thus far, seems very unlikely) — he will likely miss the playoffs.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)
1959: First Daytona 500 Ends in a Photo Finish — but the Wrong Driver Was Celebrated
The inaugural Daytona 500, held on February 22, 1959, ended in one of the most confusing finishes in NASCAR history.
Johnny Beauchamp was initially declared the winner in a close three-wide finish with Lee Petty and Joe Weatherly. Beauchamp even drove to Victory Lane and celebrated.
But here’s the twist: after three days of reviewing photos and newsreel film, NASCAR officials reversed the call and declared Lee Petty the actual winner — by inches.
It was the first and only time the winner of the Daytona 500 wasn’t officially known until days later. That win marked Lee's first of three Daytona 500 victories and helped launch the Petty family dynasty.
