Just two months ago, Carson Hocevar was held by NASCAR officials for two laps at Martinsville Speedway after what NASCAR deemed a ‘retaliation incident’ with Taylor Gray. This led to many people questioning whether Hocevar could even handle racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
“I was mentally wrong on some things,” Hocevar stated. “I wanted to win so badly that I would outwork some things.”
Before the penalty was issued, Hocevar was often involved in questionable moves during many races. Different drivers, from all three series, had different opinions but they all agreed that he had a lot of talent.
“Martinsville was that turning point for me where I really looked at myself in the mirror,” Hocevar reflected.
Fast forward two months and now he is slated to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Schluter Systems Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Hocevar’s Path
Hocevar began racing quarter-midgets at seven years old. He would go on to earn 79 USAC feature victories and 15 national championships. Johnny Benson, 2008 NASCAR Truck Series Champion, mentored Hocevar during a move to full-sized stock cars in 2015. He made an immediate impact by winning an Outlaw Late Model feature at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan.
Later that summer, he earned his first template Super Late Model victory at Berlin as a 13-year-old, becoming the youngest winner in both Late Model divisions with his victories that season. He would go on to win two more track championships and added three other victories on the regional JEGS/CRA All-Stars Pro Late Model Tour.
He was able to make a few starts in the ARCA Menards Series. And in 2019, he would make 12 starts and attempt the Short Track Challenge. He ended up posting four top fives and 10 top 10s. That year, he also debuted in the Truck Series at Eldora Speedway. In 2020, he would compete on a part-time basis for Niece Motorsports making seven series starts.
Hocevar has driven the last few Truck seasons full-time with Niece Motorsports. After multiple runner-up finishes, he was finally able to score his first career win earlier this season in the Speedycash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Trucks to Xfinity
In March of 2023, Spire Motorsports announced it would field an Xfinity team for Hocevar for six races. Hocevar’s first race with the team came at Darlington Raceway where he had a solid night and ran top 10 most of the race. Ultimately, he finished sixth.
He was able to back that finish up this past weekend in the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hocevar ran the majority of the night in the top five and finished eighth. His finish does not represent his performance as it should have been higher. However, a late pit stop for gas cost him his first top-five finish in the Xfinity Series. The Cup Series announcement is bittersweet as it comes one year after breaking his ankle at the same track.
Editor’s Note: Hocevar Earns His Chance was written by PPN photographer, Andy Coffey.
