Carson Hocevar Bio
Carson Scott Hocevar, born on January 28, 2003, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. A former member of the Drivers Edge Development program, Hocevar has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
After rising through short tracks in Michigan, Hocevar reached the national NASCAR stage in his late teens. He earned recognition as one of the sport’s most promising young talents and was named the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2024. He is widely viewed as a key part of Spire Motorsports’ growth in the Cup Series.
Early Life and Background
Carson Scott Hocevar was born on January 28, 2003, in Portage, Michigan. He is the son of Scott and Amy Hocevar and grew up in a family with deep ties to racing. His father, Scott, worked as a crew member and sponsor for several local teams, which gave Carson early access to garages, drivers, and race cars. Through his father’s work as a crew member for Bryan Clauson, young Hocevar was mentored heavily by the well-known open-wheel and dirt racer.
Hocevar began competing in quarter midgets at the age of seven and quickly built a strong resume, winning 79 feature races and fifteen national championships. He started racing at Berlin Raceway in 2015 as a twelve-year-old and won the track’s Outlaw Late Model championship that same year. He won his first Super Late Model race at Berlin in 2016, although NASCAR’s minimum age rule of fourteen briefly kept him off sanctioned tracks. He returned in 2017 and won the Berlin Super Late Model championship.
Hocevar also drew mentorship from veteran driver Johnny Benson, who had been sponsored by Carson’s father. That connection allowed Carson to turn wrenches on Benson’s racecars and later drive for him in his Outlaw Late Model program. Hocevar went on to graduate from Gull Lake High School in 2021.
Path to NASCAR
Hocevar’s move toward NASCAR’s national series began in the ARCA Menards Series, where he competed in eleven races between 2018 and 2019, recording nine top-ten finishes and two pole positions. In 2019, he joined the Driver’s Edge Development Program, a step that helped connect his short-track success to NASCAR’s bigger stages.
He made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in the 2019 Eldora Dirt Derby, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for Jordan Anderson Racing. He returned later that year at Phoenix in a No. 56 truck run jointly by Jordan Anderson Racing and Hill Motorsports. On December 20, 2019, Niece Motorsports announced a nine-race schedule for Hocevar in 2020, formalizing his path into NASCAR’s top developmental touring series.
Carson Hocevar Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Hocevar’s early professional career blended Late Model racing with his first ARCA and Truck Series starts. In 2020 alone, he won the Winchester 400, the Redbud 400, and the Money in the Bank 150, establishing himself as one of the top short-track prospects in the country. That same year, he ran a nine-race Truck Series schedule with Niece Motorsports, building the foundation for a full-time Truck ride.
Behind the wheel of Niece’s equipment, Hocevar showed speed and maturity beyond his years. His consistent finishes and short-track pedigree made him a driver to watch in NASCAR’s development ladder.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2021–2023)
On September 24, 2020, Hocevar and Niece Motorsports announced a full-season Truck Series schedule for 2021. He ran a strong rookie year, finishing second at Charlotte and fourth at Las Vegas. He re-signed with Niece in 2022 and led the most laps of the spring Las Vegas race before being turned with 36 laps remaining.
The 2022 season also brought a major setback. On June 4, 2022, Hocevar broke his right tibia at the ankle on the final lap of the Gateway race when his truck was T-boned by Tyler Hill. He underwent surgery and returned at Sonoma, where he won the pole before wrecking in turn 10, and was later relieved by Daniel Suárez, who drove the No. 42 to a sixth-place finish.
Hocevar’s breakout came in 2023. He opened the year with a twelfth-place run at Daytona and earned his first career Truck Series win at Texas in double overtime after contact between Nick Sanchez and Zane Smith on the final lap. He added wins at Nashville and Richmond and then won at Homestead to make the Championship 4. Although contact with Corey Heim at Homestead dropped him to a 29th-place finish, he was later credited with a third-place result in the final Truck Series points standings after NASCAR penalized Heim. On April 18, 2025, it was announced that Hocevar would drive part-time for Spire Motorsports in their No. 7 truck, and he won at Kansas in only his second start with the team.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (2023–2025)
On March 7, 2023, Spire Motorsports announced an expansion into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Hocevar running six races in their No. 77 car. He made his series debut at Circuit of the Americas in the No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing, retiring early with a brake failure. His Spire Xfinity debut was pushed to Darlington, where he finished sixth, and he later placed eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway before a DNF at Nashville Superspeedway.
In 2025, Hocevar returned to the Xfinity Series on a part-time basis. On February 24, 2025, it was announced he would drive for SS-Green Light Racing with BRK Racing at COTA, where he was involved in an early wreck and finished 38th. On July 30, 2025, after Josh Williams was released by Kaulig Racing, it was announced that Hocevar would drive the No. 11 for the team at Iowa.
NASCAR Cup Series and Spire Motorsports Era (2023–Present)
Hocevar’s Cup Series path began on May 30, 2023, when he was named the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Camaro ZL1 for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway Motorsports Park. He also drove the Legacy Motor Club No. 42 at Darlington, finishing seventeenth, and scored a career-best eleventh-place run at the Bristol night race. On October 4, 2023, he was signed to drive the No. 42 for the remainder of the season.
On October 10, 2023, Hocevar announced on NASCAR Race Hub that he would bypass the Xfinity Series to join Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series full-time for 2024, driving the No. 77 car under a multi-year deal. The 2024 season featured a 40th-place DNF at the Daytona 500, his first Cup top-ten at Texas, a third top-ten at Richmond, and a front-row qualifying effort at Darlington, the best starting spot in Spire Motorsports history. At Watkins Glen on September 15, 2024, he finished third, the best Cup result of his career to that point and part of a triple top-ten day for Spire. He closed the year as the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
The 2025 season brought continued progress and added attention. Hocevar opened with a 30th-place DNF at the Daytona 500, then finished second at Atlanta in a close, controversial overtime finish behind Christopher Bell. At Texas, he earned his first career Cup Series pole. He also recorded additional top results, including a runner-up finish at Nashville where he was beaten by Ryan Blaney. Off-track, he was fined by Spire Motorsports following the Mexico City road race for comments made during a livestream and was later fined by NASCAR for member conduct violations after the Hollywood Casino 400.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hocevar is known for his short-track instincts, aggressive restarts, and willingness to fight for track position. His late-race confidence has produced several career-best Cup finishes in 2024 and 2025, and he has shown the speed to contend for wins on road courses and intermediate tracks alike. Working with the Spire Motorsports crew chief group, he has steadily built consistency while retaining the edge that first put him on NASCAR’s radar.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his 2023 Truck Series win at Texas, his 2023 Truck Series victories at Nashville and Richmond, his 2024 third-place Cup finish at Watkins Glen, and his 2025 runner-up at Atlanta. His 2024 Rookie of the Year award and 2025 Cup pole at Texas are career milestones that mark his growth from Late Model standout to full-time Cup Series driver.
Carson Hocevar Career Wins
Carson Hocevar’s verified wins span Late Model racing, the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and exhibition events. His national series victories began in 2023 with the Truck Series, and he has added part-time success in the Xfinity and Cup Series since then.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Hocevar’s first NASCAR national series win came at Texas in 2023 in double overtime, followed by victories at Nashville and Richmond that same year. He added a Homestead win to make the Championship 4 and was later credited with a third-place points finish after NASCAR’s penalties. In 2025, he won at Kansas in his second start with Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 truck, his fifth career Truck Series victory.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the Truck Series, Hocevar’s standout short-track wins include the 2020 Winchester 400, the 2020 Redbud 400, and the Money in the Bank 150 in 2020, 2021, and 2025. On November 15, 2025, Hocevar and co-driver Garrett Mitchell, known online as Cleetus McFarland, won the fifth annual 2.4 Hours of LeMullets at the Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida.
Carson Hocevar Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hocevar is the son of Scott and Amy Hocevar. His father, Scott, was a crew member and sponsor for various local racing teams and worked as a crew member for driver Bryan Clauson, who became an early mentor to Carson. Scott Hocevar also sponsored Johnny Benson, giving Carson the chance to wrench on Benson’s racecars and later drive for him in his Outlaw Late Model program.
Personal Life
Carson Hocevar graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2021. He continues to be closely tied to his family and to the short-track community in Michigan that helped launch his racing career. Public details about a spouse or children are not available.
2025 Season Performance
Hocevar’s 2025 Cup Series campaign began with a 30th-place DNF at the Daytona 500, but he quickly turned heads with a second-place run at Atlanta the following week in a controversial overtime finish. At Texas, he captured his first career Cup Series pole, a clear sign of his growing one-lap speed in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
Midseason brought strong pace on intermediate tracks, including another runner-up finish at Nashville where he was narrowly beaten by Ryan Blaney. He also returned to the Truck Series on a part-time basis with Spire and won at Kansas in his second start with the team’s No. 7 entry. Off the track, two fines related to comments and on-track conduct drew attention, but Hocevar continued to post competitive results.
Entering the stretch run of 2025, Hocevar is firmly established as a developing leader at Spire Motorsports. With multiple top-fives, his first Cup pole, and a Truck Series win already on the resume, the 2025 season has been another step forward in his transition from Late Model phenom to consistent Cup Series contender.
