Rising NASCAR star Carson Hocevar looks for 1st top-10 finish at LVMS

NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar has become one of the most popular drivers in the sport as he nears the end of his third full-time season in the series.

His authentic and outgoing nature has made him a fan favorite in a sport hungry for drivers with personality.

On the track, his aggressive style of racing has ruffled a lot of feathers. But Hocevar doesn’t care.

Hocevar is in the Chase for the NASCAR Cup Series title for the first time in his career. He is 11th in the standings, 150 points back of Kyle Larson entering Las Vegas for this weekend’s race.

The NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday in the South Point 400. Green flag time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., and the Cup Series will practice and qualify on Saturday.

Things came to a head at Bristol on Aug. 19 when Hocevar was battling Ryan Blaney for the lead. The two made contact for the lead, which caused Blaney to spin and crash out of the race.

After the race, Blaney walked towards Hocevar and grabbed his firesuit, which led to Hocevar throwing a pair of punches and an altercation on pit road.

“I’ve just never really been worried about it,” Hocevar said of the criticism for how he races. “I’ve never been affected by it, honestly, so it makes it easy for me (to block it out).

“I just show up and drive a race car as fast as I can. It’s just so natural and second nature to drive a race car. It’s super easy for me to not let any of the outside noise change it.”

Fans have responded to Hocevar, with long lines at his merchandise hauler after the Bristol race and rows of fans cheering for him as he drove out of the short track on a golf cart.

“I’ve enjoyed it,” Hocevar said of the fan support. “Ultimately, it’s hard for me to turn down fans or walk past them. I’m signing autographs until the very last second, until I get into the car or at driver intros, but especially after the race, I’m not in too big of a hurry to get home.

“Lately, it’s been pretty much everybody that’s around the vicinity that’s yelling or asking, so that’s been the coolest part. The noise has gotten a lot louder and the hands asking for autographs and photos have been more.”

Hocevar, 23, from Portage, Michigan, is coming off a 33rd-place finish last week at Kansas, which is a similar style of track to Las Vegas. He finished fourth in Stage 1 but was caught up in an accident midway through the race, which caused Hocevar to drop three spots in the standings.

“I thought we were a third- or fourth-place car (at Kansas) and that’s just the most important (thing) for us is having that type of speed,” Hocevar said. “You want to finish good and give yourself the most points, but we were fast. … I don’t think any of us were really worried or disappointed.

“We much rather be fast and have someone take us out rather than be slow and scratch our heads.”

Hocevar won his first Cup Series race at Talladega in April and is in his first season in the Chase racing for a Cup Series title. It’s also the first time his team, Spire Motorsports, has put a driver into NASCAR’s postseason.

“All we wanted to do was just enjoy it and have fun with it and not really worry too much about the points, but rather focus on the speed and what we can do and what we can control,” said Hocevar, who has two top-10 finishes through the four Chase races.

“There wasn’t a lot of expectations or high pressure for any of us, so as we go and as we continue to be in the Chase for years on end, the expectations are going to move. Right now, this is the last amount of expectations any of us are going to have, so enjoying it was a priority.”

Hocevar is seeking his first top-10 finish at Las Vegas. In six races, his best finish is 15th (March 2024) and he has an average finish of 26.3.

Up next

What: South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Chase Race

When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

TV: USA Network

Betting favorite: Kyle Larson (+375)