The worst kept summer secret in NASCAR is official.
Carson Hocevar will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series next year at Spire Motorsports alongside teammates Zane Smith and the returning Corey Lajoie.
The decision was obvious for a lot of reasons but mostly because Hocevar was so immediately comfortable and successful in a NextGen car from the moment he started making starts over the summer in a substitute role for both Spire and Legacy Motor Club.
Specifically, the 20-year-old made his Cup Series debut for Spire on June 4 at Gateway where he was racing in the top-15 at the time of a parts failure, an extremely impressive run considering how much veteran drivers had struggled to adapt to the radically different platform.
He has since made five additional starts for Legacy since the team parted ways with Noah Gragson in August. He finished 11th in the Bristol Night Race last month and has been a fixture inside the top-20 in virtually every start at the highest level.
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This comes alongside a career-best Truck Series season in which he has won three times and is currently second in the standings and is poised to advance to the championship race at Phoenix in November. He has excelled so quickly in the new Cup car, calling it a godsend, that it just made a lot of sense to bypass the Xfinity Series.
But Hocevar is also represented by Motorsports Management International which has deep historic ties to both Spire Motorsports and the Spire Sports + Entertainment agency that has worked in NASCAR circles over the past decade.
That’s to say all of this is a natural fit.
“I mean, anybody in my position wants to be a Cup Series driver,” said Carson Hocevar in a press release. “That’s what you dream about when you’re young. You want to race on Sundays. So, my opportunity to run a few times this year, to run on Sunday and get ready, I feel more than prepared to get in the No. 77 car with Spire. That team is growing exponentially and I’m just excited for everything.
“I have a unique opportunity to build something and grow with it, while growing myself at the same time. For what we’ve been able to do from the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series to Cup is pretty crazy. I know it seems like a big jump. With all the tools and resources, and everybody at Spire Motorsports, they have put a lot of faith in me, and I have a lot of faith in them. We all have faith in the whole program. I feel like we can come out of the gate like we’ve done this for years.”
To his point, Spire has made numerous headlines lately between acquiring a third charter for a reported $40 million to field Smith in an alliance with Trackhouse Racing. It also purchased the Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck Series team, its shop and machine shop in Mooresville, North Carolina for $25 million.
Team co-owner Jeff Dickerson has said repeatedly that he and partner TJ Puchyr intend to build a sustainable winner. It also inked Lajoie to an extension and now they have a pair of cornerstones to build around.
“Carson Hocevar is a proven winner and excels with every opportunity,” said Dickerson in a press release. “He’s an undeniable talent and reminds me a lot of a young Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. We’re thrilled to have him join the Spire Motorsports family and help us continue to raise our competitive bar. Carson has driven the wheels off everything he’s ever raced and done more with less on multiple occasions.
“He has a knack for getting the most out of his equipment and that speaks directly to his desire behind the wheel. His attitude is infectious and he’s the kind of guy who’s just fun to be around. We think he’ll complement Corey and Zane very well.”
Hocevar takes over the No. 77 from Ty Dillon.
“We’re also very grateful to Ty Dillon for everything he’s done for our organization and the No. 77 team,” Dickerson said. “Ty came to Spire Motorsports after the 2022 season and has put his best foot forward. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him. We know he’ll land with a top-flight race team and wish him the very best.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.