Controversial NASCAR Cup Series star Carson Hocevar has weighed in on Denny Hamlin's heartbreaking championship defeat at Phoenix earlier this month.
The Championship race in the Cup Series took place three weeks ago, with Hamlin dominating proceedings and leading for over 200 laps as he looked to be cruising to his first-ever title.
However, after William Byron suffered a late tire blowout with four to go, the caution came out, and the race went to overtime, where Hamlin lost out to Kyle Larson, who had only opted for two tires down pit road, as opposed to Hamlin's four.
It was a devastating end to the season for the Joe Gibbs Racing star, who even admitted post-race: "In this moment, I never want to race a car ever again."
Hamlin has also gone on to reveal he would have 'begged' Joe Gibbs to retire if he had won the title, as it would have been the perfect way for him to bow out from the sport.
Hocevar on Hamlin's playoff woes
That was not to be the case, however, and although Carson Hocevar feels for his Cup Series colleague, he has offered an interesting take on what went down in Phoenix.
Hocevar believes that it could be a good thing for the sport long-term, with heartbreaks and close finishes potentially helping TV ratings.
"Yeah. I mean, how can you not [feel for Hamlin]?" Hocevar told the Daily Express US recently. "You know how close he's been for how many times.
But for me, myself and our team, obviously, it's good for Hendrick to win, Chevy to win and everything."
The Spire Motorsports star added: "I think for the sport's sake, it's important to have close finishes. And at times, heartbreaks can drive ratings or make people hungrier and excited to watch.
"Hopefully, the people that weren't Denny fans that felt for him tune in again next year. And I think that's more support for the sport's sake."
Hamlin is set to continue racing at JGR through 2027, signing a new two-year extension with the team during the 2025 campaign.
