In an interview during NASCAR Truck Series qualifying at Daytona International Speedway this February, Niece Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar labeled the 2023 season a make-it-or-break-it year. The NASCAR team finally received the resources it needed to compete and seven months later, Hocevar has done just that.
The driver of the No. 42 truck capped off the regular season with a victory at Richmond Raceway, which represented his third win of the season. Hocevar ended the 16-race stretch with the most victories of any driver and the third-most playoff points.
With the 2023 NASCAR playoffs ready to kick off next weekend, the Michigan native has been linked to several rides in NASCAR silly season. One of these rides happens to be in the NASCAR Cup Series, which no one may have expected for Hocevar just one year ago.
Related: Carson Hocevar wins at Richmond after late-race pass on Ty Majeski
Carson Hocevar remains ‘on the radar’ for several prominent NASCAR teams, including the Cup Series
Hocevar has seen his fair share of controversy over the last several seasons but that has started to fade with success creeping into the picture. In fact, there were two NASCAR organizations that saw his potential before he even won a race in the NASCAR Truck Series.
It was announced in March that Hocevar would partner with Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 77 car in select races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The organization would have support from JR Motorsports, which is where Hocevar’s cars have been coming from in his starts.
The 20-year-old driver has been successful with two top-5 finishes in four starts; however, this may not be the most notable part of Hocevar’s season. After Chase Elliott intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin at the Coca-Cola 600, Spire Motorsports found itself looking for a driver.
Carson Hocevar’s career stats (NASCAR Truck Series): 3 wins, 17 top-5 finishes, 28 top-10 finishes
Why Spire Motorsports? That is because Hendrick Motorsports wanted Corey LaJoie to drive the No. 9 car during Elliott’s suspension. This opened up the No. 7 car for the Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway and Spire Motorsports gave Hocevar the opportunity.
He ran well and was in the top 20 spots during the event but a brake issue caused a wreck and he finished in 36th place. Still, Hocevar was impressive in his Cup Series debut and gave even provided even more questions about his future.
Hocevar is one of the widely speculated drivers to possibly join JR Motorsports with Josh Berry leaving the No. 8 car for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. It makes sense on the surface since the Niece Motorsports driver has a relationship with the organization but another team has been linked to him.
According to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, Hocevar is on the radar of several prominent Cup Series and Xfinity Series teams; however, Spire Motorsports has been the most linked team to the young driver. This is not surprising as Hocevar has a good relationship with them.
Spire Motorsports is expected to re-sign Corey LaJoie on a long-term contract but Ty Dillon’s status with the organization is less certain. Dillon has not run well in the No. 77 car and currently sits as the second-worst full-time driver in the point standings.
It would not be shocking to see the 31-year-old driver leave the organization, which opens the door for Hocevar. It feels like Hocevar would flourish at Spire Motorsports as both parties are looking to grow in the Cup Series.
There will be plenty of suitors for the Truck Series driver due to his success during the 2023 NASCAR season. Hocevar has cleaned up the on-track actions with his eyes on a Truck Series championship but his future may have benefited the most from improved maturity.