Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Carson Hocevar & Kyle Larson

Episode Date: September 18, 2026

Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson join the show to break down everything happening on and off the NASCAR track. Carson reflects on his rise to fame, his friendship with Cleetus McFarland, navigating his rivalry with Corey Heim, and why he calls his own driving style a "shitshow." Plus, he opens up about managing his own social media, merchandise success, and returning home to Michigan. Then, dirt and pavement legend Kyle Larson stops by to discuss his passion for family racing, his dominance at the Knoxville Nationals, and whether the drive to win ever wears off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Discover coffee plus on nispresso.com. Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, presented by NASCAR on Fox. I'm Caitlin Vinci, joined by Mamba Smith in the House. Great to see you. We got a special episode on Tap today, by the way. I'm excited for this. Yeah, yeah, no, it's from Media Day. So we sat down with a couple drivers.

Well, all of them, really. All of them. This one is with Carson Holsavar as one of them. And ladies and gentlemen, I know you want me to ask a hard-hitted question. So I did. I found out for you what his relationship status is. Finally, we had to. to clarify that up. What else did he talk about?

Oh, just how much he loves the fans. Cleed is McFarland, a little bit of his influence, and, you know, some of his other buddies. So it's really cool. So we caught up with Carson Hosevar, but the fans will also hear from Kyle Larson today. Yes, he's winner. Yep, we got to talk to him about the Knoxville Nationals and what it's like

racing with his kids and how well they've been doing, following in his footsteps. So it's a really good conversation with all of the drivers. So we hope you enjoy the interviews. Take a listen. Well, I love that Carson's already giving you fashion advice to do and don't. Well, it's because now we have someone in his life that's giving him fashion advice. So it all is full circle. No, I just never seen anything like that.

And you said you're a classic guy off camera, and I'm like, since when? I didn't understand that what you said it. Yeah, since one. He's always been a classic, right? Classic, you know. Yeah, that's you. You just stay in the news. Do you enjoy that?

Just constantly. Yeah, it's funny. I'm not even trying to. And I'm like. Shoot, okay. All right. Well, I guess somehow I'm still relevant, I guess. Is it as entertaining for you as it is for us?

Yeah, it's funny. It's really funny to me. I find it enjoyable. I remember Martin'sville in the spring. I got wrecked running like 17th. Like, and that's all anybody wanted to talk about. I was like, I got wrecked running like, okay. I remember I was running the 12th and we did a wave around.

I got like full throttle. And that was all anybody wanted to talk about was like me getting wrecked. I was like, oh, just somehow, even on like a bad day, I'm, they're talking. about me I guess it's a good problem to have yeah well I mean I look at his boy Cletus you know cletus is a lot of the same way I think you guys you guys have a growing real friendship and I think that it's really fun that he has someone that is similar to him that's actually in the space doing it at a high level and he's trying to figure out what his path is and you guys can kind of

meet in the middle all of that yeah it's been fun I have a lot of friends that just have fun for a living and you know do it with the camera and stuff and I'm just you know I get to race race cars for living and that's fun for me but you know Monday through Friday I got find something to do so we've been been enjoying finding something you know plenty of things to do yeah what are the main things you want to be doing when you're what are you doing well the day before Talladega we bought 500 our cars and raced him on my buddy's dirt bike track and then we drove about eight hours or whatever to Talladega and then we won so that was fun and you know now we have a bunch of ideas we want to do and buying a bunch of stuff

building properties and yeah I mean just trying to make a pastrana I texted pastrana about it I was like you know with because I was like I have an idea that I wanted to do at my property and he's like you know talking about properties and stuff and his land you know pastrana land and Cleus is and strong I was like what what are you building I was like pretty much your land but with four wheels because I can't do too right that's fair yeah I love seeing the Facebook marketplace deals like what are some of the people's reactions when it's like you that shows up to make this eventual purchase. Yeah, I mean, I just bought a few $800 cars for like some, you know, for challenges all my buddies

are doing. And a guy was a fan and, you know, wanted a picture and hung out. And he's like, I got more cars and, you know, I'll just come bring him. And I was like, yeah, I'll take him. You know, back in, back in Michigan, we have a mutual friend, Timmy Horvath, that rewrapped his his Dale truck for him. When you go back home, those people, dude, it's nuts. I've been around when you've been back home, and the fan base is just insane.

Oh, yeah. I mean, especially when Cleetus raced, it was, we had from, we were opposite ends of Pit Road, and it was full, and the line never stopped because half of people were for Cleetus,

half people for me, but when they were done with both of us, they would just swap. They would just run a circle. Rotate. And then it would be their turn to go to Cleetis, and then to me. So, but yeah, I mean, everybody, you know,

there's the same guy that walks in the pit area and has the same shirts that I was 12 years old. You know, he'd buy the same program, same things. And, you know, come down and he's got, you know, his little bags and stuff doing the same things since the first day I race there. It's going to be cool for you, though, because like, I remember first covering you, obviously, in the Craftsman Truck series. And that was just, you know, a few years ago.

And now when you look at your fan base and how many eyes you're bringing to the sport. I imagine that's got to be like kind of a cool feeling to know that you're contributing to that. Yeah, I've enjoyed it. It's been a lot of fun for me. And, you know, I have Jeff Dickerson, who's as, you know, aggressive as they get and a loud as they get and as as as funny as they get. And I think he's having fun with it as well. And we laugh about it all the time and stuff. So I got the perfect boss to really just let me go wild. Well, we're in this interview situation. So I might as well ask, the real question that everyone wants to know,

what is Carson Holsavar's relationship status? Is it single? Is it complicated? What are we doing? What's going on? I don't know. No, I mean, Tabith was maybe the coolest person I've ever met. So we've just enjoyed hanging out with each other.

And we went to Disney World with all my friends and stuff. And we literally, our whole friend group keeps getting big. bigger and bigger and bigger I think I had like 50 people on VIP passes and the whole shebang on Daytona and everything so yeah I mean I just got so many friends that are in the industry that I never thought I would meet and everything like you know guy grew up watching Alex Ernst he's in LA and like he's gonna come to some rate he went to Talladega his first ever race was Talladega and we won there and he thought it was super fun and stuff so and then Brady would listen to Diesel and

and everybody, you know, our friend group just keeps getting bigger. That's awesome. I have to say I really appreciated the makeup video as a, as a female. I appreciate it. I didn't help her at all. Okay, that's what I was curious. She figured out all of that. No, her dad got her into NASCAR.

She's always been kind of interested in it. But she, it was very detailed. Like, I was very impressed with the amount of, like, research. I kept asking her what she was going to say. She told me the idea. And she didn't want to tell me because I think she was, hoping that she did a really good job on her own. That's so cool.

She did a great job. In case anyone's wondering, the status is, it is what it is. Just look at it is. It is what it is. Put that up. Carson, if there was another athlete or another character on TV or a movie or whatever that could depict your driving style, who would that person be, you think? Who embodies Carson?

Cold trickle. Cold trickle. Why? Hits a lot stuff in one super speed. race. He won more than the super thing. He's thought about this before. Yeah, but I mean, that's the one

that everybody remembers. Are you excited about the movie? Yeah, I'm excited. It's been fun. I've known about it for pretty much since they first start writing it and stuff. And the coolest compliment was, you know, I've been working

with Will, the writer, and adding things and doing everything and trying to help them out. That's neat. You know, he's like, yeah, Tom was referenced at something. And he was, like, trying to explain it. He didn't know 100% I'll explain it. So he just said, like Carson O'Savar, and this, like, just written down.

And I was like, oh, that's the coolest thing I've ever heard. That's pretty cool. Like, that was a cool. I'm going to frame that text. Yeah, pretty sure. So, well, you would attend some of the filming, you think, and be like. I mean, I think they're going to, I would assume they would film at, like, that track similar to that. So, you know, people's houses.

Hopefully, I'm in the background of something. He's like a consultant, it sounds like for the film, essentially. If you don't like it, you can just blame Carson. Yeah, go ahead. They would anyway. It does not do that. What do you feel like you've learned about yourself as a competitor this season, specifically? I don't know.

I've just had a lot of fun. Like, it's, you know, there's so much has happened this year that, like, I remember watching, you know, they show me a clip from, like, a pit stop in the spring in Darlington. And it felt like that was two years ago. Like, so much has happened, like traveling, doing everything and racing a lot. But, like, we just don't a lot. So it's been fun to just really enjoy. And there's so many memories I have this year that's been enjoyable.

And we ran really good too while doing all that. That's right. And one thing I find interesting about you, it was, I think mentioned several months ago that you do all of your own social media yourself. And it's always very well put together content. I would say creative music to fit the photos. Why did you think it was important to you to just have it be strictly you doing it and your own thoughts and ideas? Um, well, I mean, I didn't want to look like it, you know, dumb. Like, you know, like you have somebody else doing it and like, you just see it and you're like, no, like I would like if I just saw it and like they wrote that caption of like, ah, you know, guys, we did it today or, you know, all the caption looked look, look the same from every week.

I'm like, that just looks dumb. Like, I would never say that. And then so I just, I just don't do it. I just don't want to do it. So. And then I think, you know, if I was a fan, I'd much rather hear, man, we suck today. But we're going to try again next time. That versus, you know, man, we had a great car and we did this and we did that, you know. You've seen it all. It's the same thing over and over and over. Yeah, yours is different. When your career is done, what do you hope that people say it?

Like, when they think of Carson Holsavar, what do you want to be connected with? I don't think they just miss me. Like they miss watching or miss, you know, hearing from me or whatever. Like, you know, you people beg to see Carl back or Casey or some of these guys that show up here and there. And, you know, hopefully they, you know, there's some nostalgic there or something there. I don't know. That's fair. My goal.

We've been asking the drivers to describe their driving style in one word or several if you need it. what would you say? Shit shop. He's either one word or like 18 other words. I don't know. It's just, I would just, you know, it's aggressive and we'll see what happens. But no, I think for me, like I, you know, try to, you know, if there's a 1% shot of something working, I think it's worth it, you know, you go for it. You still try to swing at it.

So people go for a lottery, you know, buy lottery tickets every day for a lot less odds. 1% so that's a fair point when you do you look at anybody and think that there's a rivalry between you and them because the way the way the media us look at it it's cars and holsabar versus the world but is there anyone and i know you don't look at like like that but is there anyone that you're like yeah that one when i race with that one it does it changes a little bit probably heme like if you had to pick somebody like the way we racing trucks like we all we both do really similar things and make it really hard on each other so yeah I mean that one seems like it's been the most fun to you find out fun yeah okay

I think it's good it looked fun in indie yeah it was fun I've enjoyed it well we get to enjoy that rivalry for a long time it's Cory I'm and you obviously the merch sales was a big topic recently about yours leading the charge you feel like you're kind of caring you're kind of Seems like you're kind of carrying the sport on your back right now. I mean, I don't know. No, I enjoyed. I thought that was super cool, though. Like, I wasn't really expecting that.

And, you know, we have a corner in a merch trailer that has like five other teams. And we were like fifth at track. That's what I was most shocked about. I was like, God, I can't believe. Like, some of these guys have 20, the 30 options in a trailer. Like, for mine, you maybe get like six. So I was shocked at that. But, you know, it just continues.

to keep growing and everything. And yeah, it's been a lot of fun for me. You know, you can see, you can do the eye test or the, you know, who makes the most noise. But, you know, that kind of stat is really kind of a way to track where you're at. Yeah, I thought that was really cool. Even Jimmy Johnson said that sales don't lie. Yes, I appreciate that.

If Carson Holzebar and the 77 team is the NASCAR Cup of the champion, if what happens. I don't know. I don't know. It'd be funny just to see the rest of the garage's reactions, honestly. Sadness. It'd be funny. I don't know if it'll be this year, but hopefully it's some of year.

That's right. Okay, well, we appreciate the time. We have enjoyed watching all of your adventures on and off the racetrack. We're wishing you the best luck. Thank you. Thank you. New from Nespresso. Blend wellness into your coffee routine with the coffee plus range infused with functional benefits.

Choose the coffee you love with added B vitamins, like coffee plus B12 to help support immune function, and coffee plus B6 to keep your day moving. Or go with the flow and choose ginseng delight. Our new double espresso with ginseng extract. Whatever lies ahead, don't change your morning. Let your morning change you. Discover coffee plus on espresso.com. So I have not seen you since your amazing Knoxville Nationals feat.

I want to go back to that because it was incredible what you did. Yeah, when you reflect back on that, how special is that achievement in your career? Well, I mean, I've achieved winning in Knox the Nationals before. So like on that side of things, it's great. It's the biggest race of the season in sprint cars, but it's like, I know that I could do it because I've done it before. But when you think of the circumstance of how that whole night transpired in me not even thinking that I was going to get to race Knoxville to ultimately getting to and then going there and executing and winning, it's really neat. I think it's something that I'll reflect back on further down my career and appreciate it even more. But it's neat because I think it's something that fans and stuff will talk about for long time.

It was amazing. It was nuts. I think the thing about that that I thought about the most is you're in the middle of the race, right? You're doing your job, right? And you're running, you know, decent, like you guys have a good day. Maybe a lap down, but... Yeah, you're fine, it's all right. But your team on the back end, the team, now they're not thinking about Knoxville, right?

You get in there, but they're working. Someone is working in the background to get it done, right? And they get it done. And then you get the fun. So that must just really just let you know how much they care about you and how much belief they have in you, not only doing this, but being able to go to you that. I don't think anyone has that out. No, yeah. I think that's what, and I kind of knew it and recognized it all.

along but like really you know appreciated it afterwards because you know cliff you know he's a or you'd think that he would not be the type to like man like Colby the PR guy I think he said he gave him a note like hey this is what's going on in oxville and clist response was like let's fucking go you know and and then he's talking to me about it on the radio where you anybody would think about clip dan was being like you know what the cup race is going on right now we will deal with that BS when this is over, but this is what our focus is on right now. And I completely appreciate that and also understand that

and expected that. But for, yeah, him to understand how big of a race that Knoxon Nationals is and how important it is to me and to everybody on our team is pretty amazing. So not only him, but Jeff Andrews and everybody, Rick, Jeff Gordon, like they all have a piece in it. So, no, that was neat and something that I'll, I think I'll remember, like, those moments better than even the win and the finish at Richmond. Yeah, Indy 500 doubles, one thing.

Knoxville, Knoxville Richmond doubles. It was the double we didn't know we needed. Yeah. Well, I think it was unexpected, which kind of made it nice because instead of all this huge buildup to it, it was kind of like. It's so much better. I didn't have a documentary coup. Yeah, but the cameras were waiting when you landed. was hysterical because I heard you say like, oh, I thought that only happened for like Taylor Swinders

or someone like that. They're just following you around. It was really neat to see that for sure. I think, too, about the High Limit series, obviously that you're a part of. We've gotten kind of into that more, obviously, with some of our programming with Fox and Speed and seeing it really come into its own in the last, I guess, four years it's been now. What's that been like for you? Because you guys just kind of started this on your own. Yeah. No, it's grown really quickly and and been a lot of fun to see it grow. Because, you know, Brad and I, along with Flow Racing, like we have such a huge passion for Spunk Car Racing.

And they've always had, like, thoughts and ideas on what could grow the sport. And I feel like all of us together with the team of people that we have at High Limit have done a phenomenal job to grow it into what it is today with exciting racing, exciting events, keeping it, you know, quick running programs for the fans and kids that are there, introducing the franchise system and having teams like Spire Motorsports involved, Chase Brisco now. Like, I mean, it's not like they're forced to join our series. They have other, there's another series that they could join if they wanted to,

but they believe in what we believe in. So all that's been great. Crowds have continued to grow, viewerships continue to grow. So all that's been really rewarding. Nice. Yeah, just continue to see where the future goes. That's going. And then, you know, Caitlin's playing.

super mom with the kids while they're racing all over the place there was a point where i was like i don't know if his kids are gonna gonna really race or not it it seemed like like owen was about it and then kind of out of it and then it was like hard to tell which does it which is fine either way yeah but watching them the three of them run around together but those audrey and owen starting to see it find the success and enjoyment that's got to be on a whole different level for you yeah no it's been uh enjoyable for me Like obviously you're going to, your kids are probably going to have fun doing whatever. But if Caitlin's not enjoying it, they're not going to be able to go do it. So that's what it's been like has made me feel good is that she's like bought in and having fun with it.

Maybe she might some weekends rather stay home. But like she's really into it. We have our own team now this year and hired a couple guys and she's like super involved in it. And yeah, it's just been fun. Like today after we're done with all this, we're going to go to Illinois and get to spend. the week there. So yeah, they'll be really soon. So yeah, it's all fun. I got to interview Caitlin about it a few weeks ago. And like she was just saying the differences of watching your husband race versus your kids, but how equally stressful it is for both. I'm curious what it's like for you

kind of what. I mean, it's all you know, I guess. So it's not that different for you, maybe. Yeah. And I don't know. She's a girl. So you guys got the emotions. Oh, okay. This is true. We do have emotions. Like all, you know, oh, I have a flipper. something and all like, you know, FaceTime. And she, like, can't even talk. She's about to cry. I'm like, what you're trying about it? It's your baby.

You're watching. I mean, I don't know. It's like, that was not bad of a wreck. You know, so I think I'm just like laid back with it. Yeah. But, no, but she, I mean, she's got like that emotion to it. But also she's like intense on the kids too. So, yeah.

It's good. It's fun. She's great. She's a better coach than I am. Oh, she said you're really good, actually. I think she, like, we're a good, good combo because I can't really explain things very well for a child. So she'll take, like, my words and then make it easier for the kids to understand. They have a great teacher to learn from, though.

That's for sure. I mean, you think, but they, I feel I don't listen to it. Kevin has the same problem. Yeah, he does. His kid's doing just fine. So we've been asking the drivers to describe their driving style. in one word or several depending on how you feel? I don't know.

I think I feel like I'm aggressive for sure. I think that would be the easy word to point to fast, sometimes overly aggressive and overly fast. There's a couple. Yeah, I mean, you can kind of tie it all into positive negative spring. Is there like another athlete that you see, or a character in a movie or a TV show that you've seen. Like the way they do their job, I can relate because that's how I do my job.

Like, is it someone that depicts kind of how you do it? Yeah, it's a good question. I don't know. I don't get too wrapped up in like what other people are doing, I guess. But I'm not like also searching for it either. So I don't know. I just think I appreciate kind of when athletes like open themselves up to let you get a glimpse into what their routine. might look like and everybody's routines a little bit differently but you can maybe take some things

from people but um yeah and then just kind of also just more so hearing people talk about their mindsets and i can't like pick out a certain person because i again i think you just take bits and pieces of what you hear from others but yeah just how i think what's interesting is how people's mindsets are all athletes anyways or mostly similar between different sports so and the way you approach and execution and discipline and all that. You mentioned watching other athletes. I'll share this with you. I obviously interview a lot of the drivers

in the lower series, whether it's from the trucks and ARCA and things like that. So many of them tell me that you are the driver that they watch, that they want to emulate, that they learn from. So, take that with what you will. Watching you. We are wishing you the best of life in the chase.

Thanks so much for being here and good luck to you. Thank you.