Carson Hocevar, driver for Spire Motorsports, spoke with NASCAR journalist Dalton Hopkins before the Grant 165 race scheduled for Sunday, July 6, about the future of the Chicago Street Race. Hocevar expressed his thoughts on the event as it relates to his experience and the broader NASCAR schedule, touching on how the race fits with his team’s interests and his own racing style.
Hocevar, who debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 driving for both Spire Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club, discussed his connection to road course racing and the potential for the Chicago Street Course to remain on the NASCAR calendar. Speaking openly about the event, he addressed how the race impacts his career and the local businesses involved.
“I mean, we have a lot of road courses. I mean, this works really well for me. In terms of Zeig Auto Group, they have crap, some dealerships down here and everything, and it works well for them. So for my racing, it works well that this race exists even though I’m not the fastest.”
—Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Driver
“But I would love to have Chicago land back, because I think we could have a lot better shop showing up to a Chicago area race and winning versus this one. But yeah, I think this event is super cool. So biggest thing for me is I want to see a street race still on the schedule. But I think one is enough. Is there a specific place, you’d like to see,” he concluded.
—Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Driver
Hocevar’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Season Performance So Far
Carson Hocevar’s 2025 Cup Series season began on a challenging note, starting 33rd and finishing 30th in the Daytona 500, also known as the Great American Race. He showed significant improvement the next week at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a second-place finish but struggled again with a 13th place at Circuit of the Americas.
Following these mixed results, Hocevar delivered a strong performance at Nashville Superspeedway, narrowly missing the win by finishing just behind Ryan Blaney. However, this momentum faltered with lower placements in subsequent races, finishing 29th at Michigan, 34th in Mexico City, and 18th at Pocono Raceway.
Most recently, Hocevar regained form during the Atlanta Motor Speedway race, securing a top-10 finish, and has since qualified among the top five for the upcoming Chicago Street Course event. This indicates a promising trend as he prepares to compete in the 75-lap Challenge Two The Grant 165 scheduled for Sunday, June 6, 2025.
Significance of the Chicago Street Race in NASCAR’s Future
The Chicago Street Race represents a unique challenge in the NASCAR schedule as a rare street course event, blending city atmosphere with competitive racing. Hocevar’s comments highlight the importance of maintaining at least one street race, acknowledging both its appeal to drivers and its business implications, particularly for local sponsors like Zeig Auto Group.
As NASCAR evaluates upcoming schedules, Hocevar’s insights emphasize the balance between tradition, driver preferences, and commercial interests. His hope for Chicago’s return to the schedule points to the broader desire among many stakeholders to preserve diverse racing venues. Fans and drivers alike will be watching closely to see if the Chicago Street Course continues as part of the series and where future street races might be held.
