Top Dog: Carson Hocevar
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and for Carson Hocevar, his result at Texas Motor Speedway was much bigger than it may seem to the naked eye.
In what turned out to be a Texas-true slugfest in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on Sunday (April 14), Hocevar survived the race of attrition to earn his first career top 10 in 10th.
Hocevar’s return to the 1.5-mile track was likely welcomed with open arms. Texas was the site of his first win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 2023. Yet, the freshman driver felt the heat from multiple sides during the event.
Starting in 16th, Hocevar quickly worked his way inside the top 15 before sliding a bit during the opening stage. A caution on lap 50 during a green flag pit stop cycle trapped Hocevar a lap down, though he took the wave around under yellow. He finished the stage in 29th.
During stage two, the Spire Motorsports driver struggled with the treacherous turns 1 and 2, getting out of the groove once. Later in the stage, Hocevar got loose entering the corner (perhaps from some help), sending him for a ride. Fortunately, he did an incredible job of keeping it off the wall and remaining in the race.
The Portage, Mich., native rebounded to finish stage two in 16th.
Seven cautions in the final stage kept drivers on their toes, but it also kept the field jumbled up. That allowed Hocevar to work his way forward, restarting inside the top 12 within 30 laps to go.
A pair of overtime restarts saw the rookie capitalize on the opportunity, seizing the milestone result.
Entering the season, there were no questions about Hocevar’s level of talent, but rather how he would build experience and also know when to soften his aggression level. Through nine races, he has done nothing but impress, and this top 10 will likely be a launching pad for even greater results.
Once again, Hocevar also led the way for both Spire Motorsports and the 2024 rookie class. It is the fourth time the 21-year-old finished as the top rookie, and he usurps the Rookie of the Year points lead entering Talladega Superspeedway.
How Does it Compare?
While Hocevar’s result wasn’t the shiniest star in Texas, it was comparable to recent results by the top dog at TMS. In the last five points races in Fort Worth, Hocevar’s 10th-place result ties him for third in that span.
Topping him was Ricky Stenhouse Jr.‘s ninth-place run in 2023, while Justin…
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