He Drives 200 MPH. What Scares Him? with NASCAR Star Carson Hocevar

22:29COVID time? Okay. 2022. Speeding? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But it wasn't bad. I was like eight over. So I thought that was a little cheap. Did you get a ticket? I did. That's the only ticket I've ever gotten. Okay. How does it feel like you drive at 200 miles per hour with no speed limit, no speed bumps, no stop signs for a living? How does it feel for you when you're just like in a regular car just driving down, you know, a street in North Carolina or in Michigan? It's underwhelming for sure. it's just like you know well just you see all like i just like see like corners and like want to like cut them and run fast through them and think about like oh like if especially like all my buddies are you know we're driving somewhere it's like ah i wish we could just like race there just because you have that thought but it's not like you'd like really good like it's not like you ever forget oh my god i'm on the road oops yeah i don't think you're gonna be like you don't like forget how does traffic feel for you you must hate it i do hate it i'm not not a fan yeah not a fan.

23:32I try to avoid downtowns as much as possible, like back roads, everything just to avoid traffic. What does road rage look like for you? I'm actually not, I'm actually pretty good about it. I'm just not, I'm never in a hurry to be anywhere. I'm bad at being on time. But so with that, I just don't, I don't get like frustrated at anything. Most time I laugh at people that do dumb things on the road. Me too. I'm also bad at being on time and I'm also everyone's favorite. I think those things are correlated. Like if people like you, you get forgiven. Perfect, yeah. You probably take advantage of it too.

24:04Do you think that because you drive a car, you could fly a plane? No, I think opposite because I don't really am good with like following rules. And I feel like flying a plane, you need to be a definite rule follower if you want to fly a plane for a long time. Why do you think you're so bad at rules? Following rules. I don't know. Childhood maybe. When did you know that about yourself? Childhood, probably. Like when? Do you remember a particular time or story? Just sitting in school and trying to figure out how I can get out of tests and homework and being there. I'm just trying to figure out ways I can smooth talk the receptionist to get them distracted and find times that they would be distracted so I could walk out school.

24:53and like trying to figure out ways I can, you know, turn in tests that don't have anything on them and pretend I was not there that day. Are there any rules that you like? No. No. Do you like lines? Lines? Like you ever wait in lines? No. I hate lines. I door dash everything just because of that. But then being on a team, you have to do some of these things, right? Yeah, you do. When you're boss who you love. Yes, I do love him. Or when Tim asks you to follow a rule, you probably do it. No, you try to, well, I mean, that's not really like rules. That's just like, I guess it's, I guess rules, but it's more just like meetings and stuff that, that like, that's fine.

25:32But specific rules, they kind of let me do whatever. What have you learned about like aggression or rule following or rule breaking? Like what's your relationship between like rewards and rules? uh just you know it really depends what you're what you're risking um if the risk you know definitely is lower than the potential of you know what you're trying to achieve then you know just do it every time if the prize is well worth the amount of risk that you're risking then you know it's just an easy gamble even if it's low probability but high return high reward Yeah, high reward, low probability, you still, you know, still high reward.

26:13Do you feel yourself, like, calculating those things when you see a corner or you see something? Is it just intuitive for you when you're driving? Yeah, I've just done it for so long. A lot of it's instinctual. Like, a lot of it, it's a blur to me. Yeah, it's hard for me to, like, be like, yeah, I remember exactly, you know, I was thinking this. Like, most of the time, you know, in the race last week, I was, like, singing because a song was stuck in my head. Yeah. It's just a lot of instinctual. It's very similar to the analogy of you drove to work, but you don't remember the drive. I recently was with Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers running back.

26:42Running back? Tight end? Running back. Football player. And we were both speaking at something in San Francisco. And he was talking about how much tape he watches. Like how much tape he watches of himself play football. It's like there's such a routine. Do you watch tape of yourself racing? No. Never? No, not normally. Unless it's like a cool highlight or anything. Yeah. No, I don't watch any tape, honestly. I'm pretty bad at that. But I like to just kind of go in blind because it's all instinctual anyway. So I like to kind of go in blind to races and stuff just because it allows me to be present.

27:17Because the day, the track, the car is all going to be different that day. So I just like to adapt to whatever I get that day. Do you have a ritual? Do you call your mom and tell her you love her before you get in the car? No, but I get a coffee before the race. That's it. It's basically the same thing. It's basically the same thing. Basically the same thing. But I'm sure your mom knows. My only superstition is I have to get a coffee before the race. Which kind of coffee? Any kind. It doesn't matter. You just have to have a coffee? I don't even have to drink it. I just have to get one. Okay. Have you ever gone and not gotten one and done well in a race still?

27:49I mean, yeah, I'm sure, but. So there's one rule you like, the coffee rule. That's just not a coffee rule. That's a superstition. It's not a rule. Okay. Interesting. Have you ever broken a rule and then regretted it? Probably. None come to mind yet. Think about it for a little longer. I don't know. I feel like I don't have a lot of regrets. Yeah, I got to do the mistakes to learn if they were even a mistake. You have a ton of confidence. Like, do you think that's getting—are you getting more confident? Everybody says that. I don't know. Yeah, but I think it's good. I also have a ton of confidence.

28:24Imagine, where do you think you got it from? Delusion TV. Delusion TV. Your parents, maybe? Sure. Maybe being everyone's favorite. Yeah, maybe that. Maybe that's just built over time. They just get away with a lot of things. Do you think you're getting more confident as you get older or less confident? Probably. No, I definitely feel like that. I don't know. I just, like, apparently if you just know how to talk to people sometimes, it's just like, oh, you're so confident. It's just like, do people not talk anymore? Who makes you feel least confident in your life? Least confident? Uh-huh. I don't know.

28:56Nobody. When's the last time you felt insecure? Or someone who dressed you down? like a girlfriend you know who's like not in that kind of dress down but the other kind of like i don't know i don't i don't get nervous uh i don't know confident um i don't know honestly probably like i was probably the most nervous i i guess the least confident i've ever been was at the met gala yeah but just because i didn't know what to expect i didn't know what i didn't know what i was walking into i guess if i don't know what to expect i'm not confident yeah until i'm in the environment. And did you have a date at the Met Geller or did you go solo?

29:32No, I brought, I actually brought one of my best friends just because his mom, like, that was her, that's her Super Bowl. Oh, really? So we both got to, like, you know, I got to bring my best friend and both of our moms were, like, on cloud nine. You don't want to invite your best friend's mom? I guess it's not a good look. That's weird. Yeah, it's a bit strange. It's weird. But you felt comfortable within a while being there? Yeah, because we just both were, like, we're so lost. And, like, our moms are, like, texting us like how big of a deal this is oh my god we're on tv this is cool and then it's just like okay i don't understand this world but i'm learning it do you ever have imposter syndrome do you know what that is no have you heard i've heard of it i've heard of it do you know what it is explain it's like when you feel like like things are going so well and you're like maybe you know you're sitting there and you're like interviewing the president you're like why am i doing this or you know it's my my corollary to that but do you ever feel like you're in these like i don't know is there a better is there a better definition of imposter syndrome anyone don't speak at once you think you shouldn't be there because like other like other people deserve it more than you or something like that yeah look at someone else's shoes or yeah you're not like you're not qualified to be doing what you're doing how did i get here this should be need you feel like a fraud okay okay so thank you Kyle backing us on today uh no I don't know I don't I don't think I've ever I don't know I think it's more so shocking at times of like like I get it all the time of like I can't believe like a NASCAR driver's doing this less about I'm doing if that makes sense like going to the Met Gala I was just like I can't believe just like winning a NASCAR race like allowed me to like come here and stuff like that so I guess kind of but like not like I can't believe I am doing this over another NASCAR driver.

31:21It's just NASCAR. I'm sure if any NASCAR driver is doing it, it should probably be me. Yeah, I kind of have that kind of thought. Do you have a lot of haters? Yeah. Do you like them? Yeah. I mean, I like that people are either on one side or the other side. What's your relationship like with your haters? Are they motivating? Are they annoying? No, I just think it's funny. No, I just think it's really funny, and I get to enjoy it, and I like getting under people's skin a lot. Yeah. So, no, I enjoy it. I enjoy it. Like, we have, you know, NASCAR fans are probably super passionate. And, you know, compared to a lot of other sports, they probably rank really high on, you know, passionate for their guy.

32:02So it's cool, like, how loud they get or, you know, how, you know, many boos you might get. So it's cool to see the opposite side. Can you hear them when you're in the car? You can hear boos and stuff? Not quite. Luckily, I haven't gotten a lot of booze lately. But the spotter, sometimes when he's talking. Who's the spotter? So the spotter is the guy that will say like inside, outside. Like a referee kind of person? No, so it's similar to during that clip. Oh, yeah, the clip. The Dale. Days of Thunder. Days of Thunder. When they were playing that, similar to that. Sometimes when they're talking, if like I make a move for the lead, sometimes you'll hear the crowd.

32:43Because he'll be standing near the crowd. And you have like a one-to-one spotter relationship? Yeah. Like you have a spotter that's with you all the time? Yep. Yeah, like in the race and stuff, yep. And that's like a good relationship? Yeah, yeah, super good. Yeah, you guys have a shorthand and stuff. Like when you're going wild, what does he say to you? We have like code words and stuff that like just that way he knows. Like I know of like if I'm going off the rails or something. Do you have like a safe word like avocado or something? Superman. Superman? Mm-hmm. And what does that mean? Stop talking.

33:14Relax. Like you're fine. okay like if like if i get like frustrated or something like that superman's like the safe word he says superman he says superman to like chill out i like it there's one guy zane help me with his last name smith zane smith yes who's a fellow nascar driver and i saw a video of you and um he was he was asked if he likes you he's kind of like i don't like him he don't like me this is four days ago what happened what's the drama in the nascar world Tell me the tea. I don't even know. It's very one-sided to me. He seemed very frustrated or mad about something. He tried to wreck me last year.

33:53I spun him out and wrecked him by accident. And so he tried to wreck me and missed. You did it by accident? Yeah, I hit a bump and got loose. If he wasn't to my outside, I was going to spin myself. He just happened to be my outside. He took a swipe at me, but I saw it coming. So I just moved over and he missed. And then last week was like the first time I've ever really seen him. I was in front of him. And he went into the corner like wide open, like holding the throttle down, like going to miss the corner completely. I don't know what any of this means. So as if you're road raging on a guy and there's a stoplight, the guy stops for the stoplight.

34:36the guy behind that's road raging does not stop for the stoplight so he can run into the guy as hard as he can to destroy his car. But the problem is, because you do that, you also destroy your own car. Yeah. So he didn't do a very good job at like trying to wreck me. So he did that to you. He did that to me. Most of the time the car gets hit in the back is not as damaged as the car that gets hit in the front in street accidents. That's pretty much the same in NASCAR. So he destroyed his own car more than his own. He wrecked himself. Then he went on a podcast and played tough guy, I guess. We had like a little NASCAR hauler meeting because they wanted it to like squash the rivalry.

35:20A NASCAR hauler meeting? So like a NASCAR hauler meeting is as if you're going to— H-O-L-L-E-R? Yeah, so like a trailer. Like where they bring—like it's basically their conference room. It's just a traveling because it's a traveling series. and so they brought us in there because they they told me that they just they didn't even know what was going on they just saw what he did and thought there was a lot more to the story so you got pulled into the principal's office got pulled into the principal's office so they brought us into the principal's office and they're like you know they're like talking of like we need to chill out you guys need to learn how to race each other and i was like i don't i don't care like i don't i don't even know what this is about you know wreck me again you're 0 for 2 try it again i don't care My crew chief told them they're not a factor to us.

36:05We don't care what they do. So it's very one-sided. Did you like this? I just thought it was funny. I was laughing. Like, I got to talk to the NASCAR officials after, and we were all laughing. Is he 6 '4"? No. Is he as fast as you? No. Poor Zane. Okay, we have this video. It was in a NASCAR analyst show, Eric Estep. Yep. And this is him kind of, I think, talking about. Analyzing it. Yeah, he's like our, he's like probably NASCAR's Stephen A., I guess. I don't know. Yeah. NASCAR news guy. He's the guy. I've always wondered how other drivers feel about Carson hosts of our social media presence. Because as a fan, as a commenter, I love them.

36:50I think they're funny, charming. I think they're witty usually. But I've always wondered, drivers who may be on the receiving end of a host of our hurricane, how do they feel about those social media posts? Do they get a they get a chuckle out of them as well? Do they roll their eyes and move on or does it drive them crazy? They're showing some memes of your social media, one of which is Leonardo DiCaprio. Yeah. And it says, what does it say on it? I think it said I will succeed because I'm insane. Yeah. That was funny. OK, so how does it feel to be on the other side of a host of our hurricane?

37:20How do you think, like, empathize with these people on the receiving end? Answer Eric's question. Or what I think the other guys think. Oh, I think they probably hate it. They're probably just annoyed because, like, it doesn't, like, like, I can get under their skin, but, like, anything they do doesn't faze me. Like, I'm just unbothered. But, you know, similar to, like, the Zane thing, like, says, like, I'm, I guess, like, a coward for talking on social media. But I said to his face, I don't care. Yeah. Like, I was sitting right there. Is it all motivating for you? I mean, it's not really motivating.

37:55It's actually, like, almost embarrassing when the guy that's, like, 23rd in points is, like, getting compared as your rival. Like, I think he's, you know, good and talented. His car is just not super fast and whatever. But, like, I'm just like, ah, damn. What are you in points? Eighth. Eighth. So we're okay. Okay. So you'd rather fight with number seven or nine? Yeah. We'd much rather be with them. or at least someone like his comebacks are lame and like I really couldn't like bother to like like there's some guys that like I have gotten like run-ins with and like it's funny to like mess with them or like funny like or sometimes I'll like clap back and like I love it like I think it's funny and I enjoy it but like his is just kind of lame and and like I wasn't entertained I more so left the like when I was seeing it online like everything he was saying and stuff I was just like, does anybody even, like, going to care about this or, like, even think this is entertaining?

38:47Eric Estep cares. Yeah, but he didn't even name Zane. He did name Zane. There's a whole thing. He showed the quote. It was all like a quote card. We just didn't want to play that guy's podcast for too long. No, it's funny. Yeah. But I just, there's sometimes where I'm just like, I just don't even want to bother with this guy or this guy or this guy. So, yeah, I'd much rather, like, be in run-ins with that. But, you know, if it's going to be one-sided, whatever, it could be 23rd in points or 30th in points. I don't care. Does all this stuff, like, you getting outside of the window, I mean, we're talking about how NASCAR is different to F1.

39:22It's really hard to, it's harder to have, like, a brand or a bandwagon in NASCAR, right? It is. Inside the car, inside the helmet. It's tough to give, you have to work hard to be a fan in NASCAR, realistically. Like, it's tough to get drawn to a driver. You got to, like, really do, you got to do your homework, basically. You got to do your research. You got to push through, you know, of liking the sport without a favorite driver and then find a favorite driver. A lot of sports, it's kind of the opposite. A lot of sports, you get, you know, you see a cool storyline or you see something that has a relation to you, whether it's a city or a country.

40:00You're already given the reason to start watching. Yeah. NASCAR, you know, it works backwards, which is really difficult. old. So all this stuff that you do, like getting out the window, being seen. It makes it a little easier to bandwagon. Yeah, your social media. And are you thinking about that? Is that strategy? Because earlier you said like, you know, rubbing is strategy. Yeah, I mean, all that's just for competitive advantage. But truthfully, I just enjoy doing all that stuff. You know, I grew up around YouTube. I grew up around streaming and all that stuff and just basically have fun for a living.

40:27So a lot of my friends are able to do that. And I just get to be a part of it and enjoy it and have fun and, you know, do what I enjoyed watching as a kid. So I know YouTube. It makes sense to me, you know. Do you still consider yourself like a YouTuber and a social media creator, content creator? You think everyone has to be that? Yeah, I mean, everybody pretty much has to be now. Do you think Dale Earnhardt, when he was there, would he have been? I don't know. If Dale Earnhardt were alive today? I think he'd be hilarious on Twitter or not. I mean, probably not Twitter. I think Twitter would be his form.

40:56No, I think Instagram would be hilarious. I think he would be the guy that, there's a professional sports player that used to be super good. I forget his name. I'm not, but all he does is just weird selfies, and it's hilarious. It's, I forget who it is, but I just saw the other day, and they're just like, yeah, looking good. You know, looking good, pal. Like, one of the greatest in sports, and I forget his name. Okay. If you think of it, well, you can text us, and we'll put it in. So one of my favorite things I've seen on your social media is that you created, like, a fanfic of you and Sabrina Carpenter.

41:27when she was on SNL and she's kind of saying, like, she's talking about a guy and it's like, he's 6 '5". And they're like, what's, you know, what does he do? And she's like, it doesn't matter, he's 6 '5". And they're like, what's his name? And she's like, it doesn't matter, he's 6 '5". And then you showed yourself. Yep. One inch short. I'm 6 '4 and three quarters. I'm so close. Oh my God, everybody, every guy has to add three quarters to their height. Because I'm so close. Are you serious? I'm still serious. Do we have a tape measure here, guys? okay let's see it let's see i'm pretty sure i'm six four three quarters i'm pretty sure it went from certainty to shore let's see you have to take off your shoes okay okay let's see six four as three quarters that would be that's it can you check that you're tall like we're the ioc the olympic committee yeah it's a six four and a half maybe from the top What's that?

42:19Yeah. Oh. I pulled my quarter off. My quarter off. Not bad. Okay. I'm going to put this away. So six, four and a half. Six, four and a half. So that would be rounding up and grading on a curve. Okay. You still have a crush on Sabrina Carpenter? I mean, who doesn't? But you are a girl now, right? I have a friend. You have a friend? I have a friend. Tell us about your friend. Can you? Yeah, I have a friend. Does your friend have a name? Yeah, Tabitha. Tabitha. Yes. And does your friend get scared when you race? Yeah, she does. I don't know why. But, yeah, she just gets nervous and, yeah. So she gets nervous when you take off?

42:58She gets, well, she says she gets nervous for, like, all her friends and stuff. Like, of, like, you know, a lot of them, like, perform or whatever. And she just gets nervous for them. That's sweet. Does that make you like her more? That she gets nervous for you? Yeah. Do your parents worry? My mom doesn't. My dad used to. He's gotten over it. I've just been racing for so long now. Yeah. We started talking, we started the interview talking about Dale Earnhardt and kind of his, like, amazing racing career but also tragic death on a track. I mean, are you scared of that? Are you scared of him? No, I mean, the safety has, you know, grown so much since 2001 especially.

43:43So, no. Your friend Brian passed, right? Yeah, totally different car, though. Those cars are still super dangerous. Midgets, they're open wheels, super small, everything. But NASCAR itself, those cars are super safe right now. So you don't feel it's dangerous. But you seem like someone who, like, lives on the edge a little bit. Like, you like a thrill, right? Do you know Alex Honnold, the climber? It's kind of weird. When I watched that movie, Free Solo, I was like, this guy's just not afraid. Yeah. Like, he just has that part of him turned off. That's unbelievable. Yeah, no, I've just always, you know, just been super comfortable in the car and never really been scared of it.

44:20Are you scared of anything? Heights. Heights? Yeah. Yes, heights. Heights are scary to me, but that's about it. Even at 6 '4 and a half? Yes. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. Just being at the top of super tall buildings are just, I mean, it's just a lot. Especially looking down and everything and being on edges, just difficult. for me. Mark Cuban was my first guest and he too was afraid of heights. Really? Yeah, and he's tall too. He's like, I think he's like 6 '3". He's going to get mad at me if I say not. I think he's 6 '3". We fact-checked your height. I know. I mean, have you ever done that before?

44:57No. So I'm a first. You're first. You're the first. I end every episode. Vacation rental hosts can make or break a vacation. Luckily, Vrbo makes it easy to find the ones who make it stress-free. Vrbo's Premier Hosts badge highlights vacation rental hosts with top-tier listings. The ones with excellent guest experience reviews, zero cancellations, and strong ratings across the board. For trip planners who want to be hosted, not ghosted, choose Premier Hosts. Book today on the Vrbo app. If you know, you're Vrbo. Out of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, asking my guests who are so knowledgeable in their sphere what they are dumb about, what is a dumb question that you have that you don't know the answer to.

45:38What's dumb? Just on anything? On anything. On anything. Yeah, you can also like pull out your phone. You can look through like some things you've asked your phone recently that you think are kind of embarrassing. We have a question that we asked all our friends. I didn't come up with it. Would you rather have unlimited bacon but no games, no games in the world, or unlimited games, like games, unlimited games but no games? But no bacon. No bacon but no games. Wait, what? I don't understand. Wait. So you can have unlimited bacon. Yep. Like bacon the food? Bacon, the food. And no games. And no games.

46:13Or you can have unlimited games. Unlimited games. But no bacon. But no games. But no games? But no games. Am I not getting this? I'm being crystal clear. Hold on, I'll say it one more time. Unlimited bacon. Yeah. But no games. Or games. Unlimited games. Oh, but no game. No game, no meat. No game, no meat. No games. Does anyone else understand what's happening here? Like video games or like? No, just games. Oh, get it. Both? Yeah, all both. Unlimited games, but no games. Right. Crystal clear. Are you high? No. I don't understand. No. What's your answer? You wanted a dumb question. What's your answer to the question?

47:00No, that's the thing. You can't tell anybody else your answer. You just have to answer. What would your answer be? I don't eat bacon, so I guess I have to live in the paradox of the second choice. So you just get unlimited games. But no games. Crystal clear. Do you ever worry the fire suits are carcinogenic? What does that mean? Cancer causing. I just have smarter people that worry about that stuff. Yeah. They just hand me a suit, and I'm just like, cool, I'll wear that. Okay. You don't want to tell me the games trick? No, there's no trick. You just answer one or the other. And your friends and you guys ask each other this question all the time.

47:34All the time. And nobody can tell each other their answer. Correct. No, we hear the answer of the new person. Okay. But they don't know our answers. Okay. It's like an initiation. Yep. Okay. And this is, okay, great. I think we should end there. I'm going to have to go ask ChatGPT about this. Okay. And see if he has an answer. Can you ask ChatGPT actually? Pull out your phone. I don't have ChatGPT on my phone. What do you have? I don't use AI. You don't use AI? No. Oh, because you're so Gen Z. I don't know. Do you hate AI? No, I just don't normally use it. How do you find things out? Google? I fake it.

48:14You fake it? You pretend to know things you don't know? Yeah, I just pretend to know things. That's what the show is all about not doing. Oh, really? Yeah, smart girl dumb questions. Like, be confident enough to be curious. You're confident, Carson. You can do it. No, no, just normally it's just fun. You just make up stories. So your hall pass is Sabrina Carpenter? I don't know. Does your friend have a hall pass? No, but I don't give out the hall pass to myself. No, but you and your friend haven't established. That's not how that works. Okay. Stump question. That's the show. All right. Thank you for being here, Carson.

48:45This is a lot of fun.

48:50Okay, I'm going to start measuring all my guests now. I'm not sure if Desta at Wonder Studios was just giving Carson a little extra inch there. I don't know, but it did seem. I was too short to see. But he was a lot of fun. I knew nothing about NASCAR. Now I know more about NASCAR. But what a wild thing to be doing at 23. And I just enjoyed his personality and that he was kind of game for the whole thing. Anyways, if you know the answer, please drop me a DM at smartgirldumbquestions or at Naeem Marraza or just email me naeemmarraza101 at gmail.com. You can also call us at 1-855-MY-DUMB-QUESTIONS with your dumb questions, but try to make them less dumb than Carson's dumb question.

49:26Also, you can find Carson on at NASCAR. I guess you can find him outside of the window of his car. and you can find him at Carson Hosovar on Instagram or TikTok or all the places. I think you can find his friend Tabitha there too. She's a big time TikToker from what I can understand. That's it for this episode of Smart Girl Dumb Questions. I hope it was a fun one for you as it was for me and I hope that you too are as tall as Carson Hosovar. This episode was produced with Suntina Nigam and Melissa Lee Gibson. It was engineered by Jamie Van Corff, edited by Davy Chin. It was shot with Dusta Wunderad at Wunder Studios, this amazing place where I film out in Manhattan.

50:01And I'm your host, Naeem Marraza. I'll see you next week for an all new Smart Girl Dumb Questions.