Carson Hocevar, a 22-year-old NASCAR driver from Portage, Michigan, is gearing up for another shot at redemption at World Wide Technology Raceway in Gateway. The track holds a special place in his heart, as it’s where his career with Spire Motorsports took off. Despite past setbacks, including a broken ankle in 2022 and a disappointing Cup debut in 2023, Hocevar has shown remarkable resilience and determination.
In 2022, Hocevar’s racing season took a dramatic turn when he was involved in a crash at Gateway that left him with a broken ankle. However, he didn’t let the injury sideline him for long, and he continued to compete, ultimately finishing 10th in the standings. The following year, Hocevar made his NASCAR Cup debut at Gateway, but his race was cut short due to a solo incident in Turn 1.
Despite these setbacks, Hocevar’s fortunes at Gateway began to shift in 2024. He completed the entire Cup race at the track and secured an impressive eighth-place finish, his best result at Gateway to date. This performance gave him renewed optimism heading into the upcoming event.
Hocevar’s recent success has also been fueled by two career-best Cup finishes at tracks similar to Gateway. He finished second at Atlanta and Nashville, which has given him the momentum and confidence to tackle the 1.6-mile oval. As he prepares to take the green flag at World Wide Technology Raceway, Hocevar is focused on moving forward and not letting past misfortunes dictate his performance.
“Gateway is a special place for me, and I love racing there every year,” Hocevar said. “Whether other people think it was good or not doesn’t really matter, but Gateway is where all of this started, and it holds a lot of meaning for me.”
With a win at Sunday’s Cup race, Hocevar could alter the narrative of his NASCAR Gateway history and reaffirm his persistence. As he gears up for the race, Hocevar’s advice for young drivers is to persevere and surround themselves with good people. “There will be a lot of tough days, but the good ones make up for them,” he said. “You’ll end up with a good group of guys who have your back and believe in you.”
