“Look at Joey Logano” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Skeptical for NASCAR’s Wannabe Bad Guy Amid Controversy

“So, yeah, we’re nowhere near that. And you still have, you know, you still have the potential for, I mean, you still have potential for guys, new guys,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. talking about the current crisis in NASCAR. Carson Hocevar, a 22-year-old NASCAR hotshot, is tearing through tracks with blistering speed but leaving a trail of controversy in his wake. His bold moves, especially the Kansas Truck Series spin, have fans and insiders divided. Junior, the voice of wisdom in NASCAR’s wild world, sees a diamond in the rough but isn’t sold on the rookie’s readiness.

Hocevar’s raw talent is impossible to ignore. Earnhardt’s co-host TJ Major’s hit the nail on the head: “He’s got speed, which is the main thing.” That speed has delivered moments of magic. But his inexperience shines through in incidents like Kansas, prompting Dale Jr. to say, “I was pretty disappointed… I thought it was just really not necessary.” Still, he’s got a soft spot for drivers who race with grit. With the sport’s history of fiery drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. as a backdrop, Dale Jr. calls for patience, pointing to the defending champ’s hard-fought journey from near-failure to champion as a beacon for Hocevar’s future.

Hocevar’s edge reminds fans of Earnhardt Sr., the “Intimidator,” who stirred NASCAR’s biggest controversies, like wrecking Terry Labonte to win at Bristol in 1999. The Kansas drama branded Hocevar a “loose cannon,”. With his sharp social media game and fan connection breathing new life into the sport. But Dale Jr. worries NASCAR’s push to throw teens and 20-somethings into Cup cars sets them up to stumble, a challenge even his legendary father Earnhardt Sr. faced in their early days.

Here’s Dale Jr.’s unfiltered take on Dale Jr Download podcast: “Well, I hear you, but I don’t have a whole lot of confidence that that’s going to happen anytime soon… We put them in cup cars… 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 years old. There will be the anomaly that comes in, kicks ass… But most people are 22-year-old 22-year-olds, right? And they’re going to f– up… If you can be patient with a guy like Hocevar, the 26-year-old Hocevar will be the driver that you want him to be…” Hocevar’s potential—seen in his top-10 runs and Darlington result—needs that patience.

But what Dale Jr. said makes sense. If we look at Kyle Busch’s career trajectory over the years, he’s changed. Back when he was 19, Busch made his debut in the 2005 Cup Series. Fans remember him as the fiery Rowdy Busch with his interviews and angry radio rants. However, he cooled off over the years. And he isn’t the only one. His former JGR teammate proves it, and Dale Jr. knows it.

He added, “Look at Joey Logano. Perfect example. If the right people didn’t have the idea to give him a second chance, he’s not a three-time champion… His deal, I think we all forget just how rough the Gibbs deal went… We all were like, yep, boy, that didn’t work out, did it? Well, you know, it did work out. He’s a b—–.”

Logano’s rocky start at Joe Gibbs Racing, where, despite high expectations as a teen prodigy, he struggled with just five top-5 finishes in four years. Fans and insiders, including Dale Jr., were skeptical when he moved to Team Penske in 2013. But Penske’s faith paid off, with Logano’s first Cup win in 2015 and three championships by 2024.

Hocevar, to his credit, is embracing the hate and wild comments against him. When he flipped off Layne Riggs, he said, “It’s all harm, no foul, and I’m sure my bird is real small to just hit and contact. So, it’s all friendly, and when I see him, I’m sure we’ll laugh about it.” But it doesn’t mean he isn’t learning. After his aggression at Atlanta, Hocevar acknowledged the advice Chastain and Blaney came to him with. “So, you know for sure, I apologize to (Blaney) for hitting him. There was no excuse for spinning anybody, intentional or not, and I wish I, you know, just made a different move and lifted just a little bit more and just didn’t see it panning out that way, obviously. But you know, there’s no better school to hear from them and want to have the same progression as them as they had when they were my age or at this point in their career.” 

NASCAR’s youth obsession piles pressure on drivers like Hocevar to shine too soon. Hocevar’s charisma and speed mark him as a future star, but his slip-ups scream inexperience. Dale Jr.’s call for patience suggests Hocevar could be NASCAR’s next big thing—if the sport and fans give him room to grow into the champion they’re dreaming of.

Dale Jr is missing the time when drivers were the dominating factor

Junior’s words are revving up NASCAR’s soul in 2025. At 50, he’s no longer just a driver—he’s the sport’s fiercest defender. He pointed how NASCAR dynamics are rewriting the “Big Three” story and reminding everyone why fans live for those checkered flags.

He meant the old “Big Three” drivers—Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr., who owned NASCAR. In 2015, they hit the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami, with Busch snagging the title. From 2017-2019, they were unreal: 15 wins in ’17, 20 in ’18, 16 in ’19. “Truex, Busch, and Harvick were winning like 80% of the races,” Dale Jr. said on his podcast. It was wild.

But the Next-Gen car changed everything. It has allowed teams, not drivers, as the new “Big Three”: Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske. These are the teams young drivers dream of joining. Josh Berry’s Pennzoil 400 win and Harrison Burton’s Daytona stunner show the Next-Gen’s parity. “Spire with Hocevar’s creeping up,” Dale said. “If the top 10 was the same every week, you’d have a point.”

With RFK and Trackhouse shaking things up, one wonders who might be the next Big 3.

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