Carson Hocevar Bio
Carson Scott Hocevar (born 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 native of Portage, Michigan, Hocevar has quickly moved through the NASCAR ladder after a decorated start in quarter midgets and Super Late Models. He is a former member of the Drivers Edge Development program and was named the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Hocevar is one of the tallest drivers in the Cup garage and has built a reputation for late-race aggression and short-run speed. He previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he won races for Niece Motorsports, and made limited appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Early Life and Background
Carson Scott Hocevar was born on January 28, 2003, in Portage, Michigan, and grew up in a household rooted in grassroots racing. He is the son of Scott and Amy Hocevar. His father, Scott, worked as a crew member and sponsor for several local racing teams, exposing Carson to the sport at a very young age. Through those early connections, young Hocevar was mentored by open-wheel star Bryan Clauson, for whom his father served as a crew member.
Hocevar began competing in quarter midgets at the age of seven and racked up 79 feature wins and fifteen national championships in that discipline. He later moved to Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan, winning the track’s Outlaw Late Model championship in 2015 as a twelve-year-old. He graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2021.
Path to NASCAR
As a teenager, Hocevar shifted his focus to Super Late Models, claiming his first victory at Berlin Raceway in 2016. NASCAR rules at the time barred drivers under fourteen from competing at sanctioned tracks, forcing a brief hiatus before he returned in 2017 to win the track’s Super Late Model championship. He was then mentored by veteran driver Johnny Benson, turning wrenches on Benson’s racecars and later driving for his Outlaw Late Model program.
Hocevar’s path to the national NASCAR ranks accelerated in 2018, when he began running selected ARCA Menards Series events. He joined the Driver’s Edge Development Program in 2019 and made his Truck Series debut that same summer at the Eldora Dirt Derby. By 2020, he was a full-time development driver with Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series, setting the stage for a rapid climb through NASCAR’s national tours.
Carson Hocevar Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Between 2018 and 2019, Hocevar competed in eleven ARCA Menards Series races, earning nine top-ten finishes and two pole positions. His strong ARCA showings helped him secure a nine-race Truck Series schedule with Niece Motorsports in 2020. He also won marquee Super Late Model events, including the Winchester 400 and the Redbud 400 that year, signaling his arrival on the national short-track scene.
Hocevar also captured the Money in the Bank 150 at Berlin Raceway in 2020, one of three consecutive victories in that prestigious late model event. Those short-track successes, combined with a full-time Truck Series ride, gave him a foundation to chase national-level NASCAR wins.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Hocevar moved to a full-season Truck Series ride with Niece Motorsports in 2021 and quickly established himself as a contender, finishing second at Charlotte Motor Speedway and fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He re-signed with Niece in 2022 and was running strong at Las Vegas in the spring when a late-race incident took him out of contention. At Gateway that June, he broke his right tibia at the ankle in a last-lap crash, underwent surgery, and was back behind the wheel by Sonoma.
The 2023 Truck Series season was Hocevar’s breakout year. He opened with a twelfth-place run at Daytona, then won at Texas Motor Speedway in double overtime. He added wins at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond Raceway before capturing the Homestead-Miami victory that locked him into the Championship 4. Despite a hard-fought run at Phoenix, he finished third in the final Truck Series standings.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (2023–2025)
Hocevar made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2023 at Circuit of the Americas with SS-Green Light Racing, finishing 36th after a brake failure. Driving the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports’ newly created Xfinity program, he rebounded with a sixth-place finish at Darlington Raceway and an eighth at Charlotte Motor Speedway before a DNF at Nashville Superspeedway.
In 2025, Hocevar returned to part-time Xfinity competition, running for SS-Green Light Racing with BRK Racing at COTA. Later that summer, he was announced as the driver of the No. 11 for Kaulig Racing at Iowa Speedway following Josh Williams’ release from the team.
Spire Motorsports Era (2023–Present)
Hocevar’s first NASCAR Cup Series start came on May 30, 2023, when he was tabbed to drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Camaro ZL1 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Later that fall, he was signed to drive the No. 42 for Legacy Motor Club for the remainder of the season, posting a career-best eleventh-place finish at the Bristol night race. On October 10, 2023, Hocevar announced he would bypass the Xfinity Series and move directly to a full-time Cup ride with Spire Motorsports in 2024, driving the No. 77 under a multi-year deal.
His 2024 rookie Cup season was highlighted by multiple top-ten finishes, including a breakthrough eighth at Texas Motor Speedway. He nearly captured the win at Watkins Glen in September, finishing third, and his strong overall results earned him the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award. In 2025, Hocevar has continued to flash top-tier speed, scoring a runner-up finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway and earning his first career Cup Series pole at Texas.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hocevar has earned a reputation for short-run speed and aggressive restarts, with a particular knack for road and intermediate tracks. His 6-foot-4 frame and late-braking instincts have produced several hard-fought top-five finishes, and his willingness to lean on competitors has made him a polarizing but compelling presence in the Cup garage.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his 2023 Truck Series wins at Texas, Nashville, and Richmond, plus the Homestead victory that clinched his Championship 4 berth. In the Cup Series, his third-place run at Watkins Glen in 2024 and a second-place finish at Atlanta in 2025 stand out as his most high-profile results to date.
Carson Hocevar Career Wins
Hocevar has compiled victories across multiple stock car touring series, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and prominent Super Late Model events. His five Truck Series wins and his repeat success in late model racing underscore his versatility on short tracks, intermediates, and road courses alike.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Hocevar’s first Truck Series victory came at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023, a dramatic double-overtime finish in which he inherited the lead after late contact between the leaders. He added wins at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond Raceway that same year, then captured the decisive Homestead-Miami race to advance to the Championship 4. In 2025, he added a fifth career Truck Series win at Kansas Speedway driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Hocevar has won marquee Super Late Model events including the Winchester 400 and the Redbud 400 in 2020, and a record three consecutive Money in the Bank 150 victories at Berlin Raceway in 2020, 2021, and 2025. On November 15, 2025, Hocevar and co-driver Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, won the 5th 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 for sprint car star Bryan Clauson and a sponsor for several local racing teams, which gave Carson early access to elite open-wheel talent. Johnny Benson, another driver sponsored by Scott Hocevar, became a mentor and offered Carson his first chance to turn wrenches and drive in his Outlaw Late Model program.
Personal Life
Hocevar graduated from Gull Lake High School in 2021 and continues to make his home in the Michigan area. He remains close to his parents, Scott and Amy Hocevar, who have supported his racing career from its earliest quarter midget days. Outside of racing, he has built a large social media following and often streams racing and gaming content to his fans.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a coming-out party for Hocevar. He opened with a 30th-place DNF at the Daytona 500 but rebounded the very next week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished second in a close, controversial overtime finish. He later earned his first career Cup Series pole position at Texas Motor Speedway and continued to set new career-best finishes at Nashville.
Off the track, Hocevar’s season has included two notable fines. Following the Mexico City road race, Spire Motorsports fined him and required cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training after controversial livestream comments. In October 2025, NASCAR fined him an additional $50,000 for member conduct violations after he reved and spun his tires while safety personnel were attending to his car at the Hollywood Casino 400.
Despite the off-track headlines, Hocevar’s on-track pace has positioned Spire Motorsports as one of the most improved teams in the Cup garage. With multiple top-five finishes, a pole, and additional Truck Series and Super Late Model victories already in 2025, he enters the closing stretch of the season as one of the most talked-about young drivers in NASCAR.