Anybody who is aware of something about Carson Hocevar is aware of he completely loves racing. That a lot is evident as quickly as you hear of him or meet him in particular person.
Coming off his first profession NASCAR Cup Collection win at Talladega on April 26, Hocevar was simply having enjoyable whereas competing in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection race at Texas Motor Speedway. Hocevar overcame a free wheel and several other late-race restarts to earn his sixth profession Truck win and his second at Texas.
The win is one other trophy and test for Hocevar, however most significantly, it is a reminder to the 23-year-old from Portage, Michigan, that racing is enjoyable — a reminder that may get misplaced within the grind of Cup racing.
“I used to be having a lot enjoyable on the market,” Hocevar stated Friday after the race. “Sunday’s [are] what’s powerful, and the place we’re judged and the place all of us make our cash. That is simply enjoyable. We get to remind ourselves that racing is the eagerness all of us get to take pleasure in.”
That does not imply Hocevar would not need to win. However he stated he would not have cried himself to sleep had he misplaced Friday’s contest.
“In the end, I feel we’re alleged to win this race, for positive,” Hocevar stated. “I would cry myself if we do not win Sunday for positive and suppose worse of myself. These truck races, I simply hope it is a actually, actually enjoyable race.”
A win in Sunday’s Wurth 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1) actually is not out of the image for Hocevar and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports group. Hocevar is eighth within the Cup standings by way of the primary 10 races of 2026 and gained the pole at Texas in 2025.
Carson Hocevar’s second Texas win was completely different from first
Whereas Hocevar merely loves competing in Truck Collection races, profitable them makes them much more enjoyable.
Hocevar earned his first profession Truck Collection win at Texas in 2023, again when he was a scorching prospect and Truck Collection racing was the equal of the Cup Collection grind to him.
His first Texas triumph regarded a lot completely different than his second. Hocevar led just one lap in his 2023 win, whereas he led 76 and gained Stage 2 on Friday in a way more dominant displaying.
A really sluggish 24-second pit cease underneath inexperienced threatened to relegate Hocevar to a third-place consequence, however a barrage of late yellows allowed him to place his expertise on full show.
That does not imply Friday’s win got here straightforward. Hocevar relayed to his crew that he believed he had a free wheel with 20 laps to go.
The excellent news, a minimum of in hindsight, was that Hocevar did not actually have the choice of coming down pit highway to repair the problem. His group had no sticker tires ready within the pits, forcing Hocevar to powerful issues out and pray a tire did not come off at pace.
Hope is not a lot of a method in racing, however it was the profitable one for Hocevar. The free wheel did not trigger any main points for him down the stretch.
“I felt like [the loose wheel] was limiting me,” Hocevar stated. “However I felt like on the restarts I form of forgot about it. I nonetheless had my arms full for no matter cause. I used to be free. However I assumed we had been nonetheless robust on restarts.”
Hocevar was robust on restarts all through Friday’s race and was his regular aggressive self. Do not anticipate that aggression to stop on Sunday, the place a red-hot Hocevar will chase his third NASCAR win in seven days.
Quotes offered by NASCAR Media.
