There’s something timeless about the wait for a first NASCAR win. The lap stretches longer, the fuel burns hotter, and every near miss leaves a mark. Fans have seen it before—drivers with raw speed and iron will, stuck just outside Victory Lane. Think of Kasey Kahne’s string of second-place finishes in 2004 before he finally broke through at Richmond, or Michael Waltrip waiting 463 races before that emotional Daytona 500 win in 2001. They’re proof that talent needs timing, and for one current Cup Series driver, it couldn’t be truer.
Carson Hocevar finds himself threading that same needle. He has the speed. The moments of brilliance are stacking up. Earlier in the year, he turned a lot of heads with his P2 finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, while winning the Coca-Cola 600 seemed like it was on the cards for the No. 77 Chevy, an unfortunate engine failure destroyed his dreams. With the checkered flag still out of reach, he’s becoming the kind of driver fans root for with gritted teeth. One veteran crew chief believes the win is right around the corner.
Larry McReynolds didn’t stutter when asked whether Carson Hocevar would win a race this season. In a recent interview with Dirty Mo, America’s crew chief declared, “I’m gonna say spot on. Not just Hocevar, Spire as a whole is bringing speed and when you’ve got speed, it’ll eventually cash in. I know when you look at his finishes, yeah, I think second at Atlanta, got another top ten somewhere. He was a player the other night. Carson is starting more and more to find that line between when to and when not to,” said Larry, with full confidence in the 21-year-old’s ability.
If you see the numbers, they back McReynolds up. Despite being done with a little over one-third of the season, Hocevar proved he can run up front. Compared to last year’s 16 laps led, the Spire driver has already crossed 36 laps led this season. Add to that one top-five finish and two top-10 finishes, and you see our point. Even in Charlotte last weekend, Hocevar was compared to the likes of Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin, two of the top performers from the race.
Just ask Dale Jr. “Hocevar, I don’t know if he had enough to win the race. He was getting stronger as the night was going, as was [Ross] Chastain and Denny [Hamlin], as well. But I always feel like you’ve got to lose a few before you win one. … He has something special. Hocevar, I don’t know if he had enough to win the race. He was getting stronger as the night was going, as was [Ross] Chastain and Denny [Hamlin], as well. But I always feel like you’ve got to lose a few before you win one. … He has something special,” Junior said.
Even NASCAR legend Kyle Petty chimed in on the debate. “I think we’re seeing the emergence of a new superstar in this sport. I go back to Atlanta, everybody was cussing Carson Hocevar at Atlanta. … We heard it from [Ryan] Blaney, we heard it from a number of drivers who have won championships and won races. Carson Hocevar is flexing his muscle. Carson Hocevar showed that he can lead, he can run up front and he can race with these guys. He can race competitive and race clean with these guys. If not for a blown engine, we don’t know what could have happened because I think he would have been a factor at the end of the race.”
Well, how can he get there? Dale Jr. has some advice for the young driver.
Dale Jr. asks Carson Hocevar to cool it down
While we were speaking about Hocevar in Atlanta, it would be incomplete without mentioning Busch‘s rant. “Go tell the 77 he’s done that same f—— move ten times. I don’t care if I wreck the whole fucking field, I’m over him. He’s a f—— douchebag. I’m going to wreck his a–.” Clearly Busch wasn’t happy but was this a one-off case? Later, when Hocevar’s mentor Ross Chastain lashed out at the Spire driver, fans knew things were serious.
Well, Dale’s plan is simple. “He has to get the rest of it kind of tied together. His attitude, personality is a bit — it’s energetic. It’s kind of all over the place. Once he hauls that in, the field better look out, because his ability to really just be quick and run fast is very rare. There’s not many people in the sport. I honestly feel like he could really, really shine over the next several years, when he puts it all together.”
Hocevar’s philosophy right now is a bit different. “I called Jeff Dickerson (co-owner of Spire Motorsports) right after Daytona, on Monday, and I said, ‘Hey man, like, what do you think I should do?’ And he’s like, ‘Well, just ride, do what you normally do.’ And I said, ‘I think I’m just gonna go race and I’m just gonna go see what happens.’”
With Nashville next, could Hocevar get his first NASCAR win?
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