Carson Hocevar achieved his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, securing second place amid controversy and post-race discussions with fellow drivers.

In the final laps, Hocevar made an aggressive three-wide move between Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain. He later pushed Bell into the lead over Kyle Larson before making another bold move between them as the race-ending caution emerged.

"I was hoping that stayed green," Hocevar commented. "We hit him enough to get him off his lane and open up the middle, which is exactly where I wanted to be."

Post-race, Hocevar faced conversations with both Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney. The discussion with Chastain, his mentor, remained private, though Hocevar acknowledged they had differing views on his race decisions.

Earlier in the race, Hocevar made contact with Ryan Blaney, causing the 2023 series champion to spin with 27 laps remaining. Blaney later advised Hocevar to "calm down" and be "smarter" in certain situations.

Hocevar acknowledged his mistakes, particularly regarding the incident with Blaney: "That was the first time I've probably lined up a Chevy nose with a Ford, and it just got him in a really bad spot. It's 100 percent on me."

Despite the controversies, Hocevar's second-place finish tied for Spire Motorsports' best result as a full-time Cup Series team, earning 41 points - the second-highest in the field.

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