LEBANON, Tenn. — Carson Hocevar apologized. No, not for the contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a matter Hocevar stated he wanted to assessment. And Hocevar didn’t apologize for being a bull in a china store, no less than that’s how some rivals see him.
After matching his career-best end of second Sunday night time at Nashville Superspeedway, Hocevar apologized — for slicing an interview brief.
“I’m about to throw up,” he stated.
The 22-year-old turned and walked over to the infield grass and did simply that. He felt higher afterward and resumed speaking to reporters.
Nothing is abnormal with Hocevar, who reminds certainly one of a bucking bronco but to be fairly totally tamed, filled with power and capable of pressure others to react to what they do.
Even Nashville winner Ryan Blaney acknowledged what Hocevar has finished with Spire Motorsports this season.
“Spire has been actually, actually quick this 12 months,” Blaney stated after his first victory of the season. “Primarily the 77 (Hocevar). He’s been actually, actually good and had an important shot to win that race final week and ran actually good tonight.”
The Staff Penske driver took management on an extended green-flag run to finish the race after profitable Stage 2.
Hocevar appears to be closing on his first profession Cup victory, supplied he can harness his expertise and his workforce can execute a clear race. All of it nearly got here collectively Sunday.
Then once more, that victory may need come the earlier week within the Coca-Cola 600 had his engine not blown whereas he was working second with lower than 100 laps to go.
“We’re proper on the doorstep,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson informed NBC Sports activities after Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway. “That was totally different from (the Coca-Cola 600) the place we had a bunch of velocity early and sometimes. This was extra of a workmanlike, mature end for the group. I’m pleased with (Hocevar).
“We nonetheless had our drama there. I want he would have simply minimize Ricky a break greater than something. I don’t know if that was totally on Carson, however I do anticipate him to chop a man a break like that. That’s all a part of the constructing block. I’d fairly be having that dialogue with him after a second-place run than thirty second.”
Quotes from the longest concrete observe on the NASCAR Cup Sequence schedule.
Hocevar has famous that he’s persevering with to be taught but additionally able to win, saying this weekend: “I really feel like I understand how to win. It’s simply having the ability to be detailed sufficient to have it work out.”
And avoiding points with rivals.
After he completed runner-up at Atlanta in February, the second-year Cup driver had a number of drivers upset with him. Blaney and Ross Chastain talked to him after the race about his driving.
Whereas acknowledging he had room to develop on the observe, he remained assured in what he was doing.
“We’re right here to win races and never be a boy band and love one another and play on the playground collectively,” Hocevar stated on the time.
Carson Hocevar lately bought a pickup truck embellished like Dale Earnhardt’s GM Goodwrench No. 3.
Hocevar is the third younger driver that Luke Lambert has been paired with all through his 13-year Cup profession as a crew chief and people experiences are serving to him join with Hocevar extra.
“I feel what I’ve discovered in working with totally different rookies and now with Carson is a lot about managing expectations and constructing the psychological toughness to be a Cup driver, which you actually can’t develop with out the expertise of driving on this sequence. … The psychological toughness required to handle these Cup races is admittedly the place the distinction is made.”
The Staff Penske driver turns into the ninth driver to win within the 2025 season.
So how does Lambert assist Hocevar with that?
“It’s a 24/7 deal with self-discipline,” Lamber stated. “Our focus is to develop the correct quantity of self-discipline for him with out killing his creativity. That requires conversations about the whole lot that occurs on the observe but additionally conversations that occur about the whole lot in your life in between races.”
Lambert calls Hocevar “one of the vital artistic race automotive drivers I’ve ever been round in that he finds methods to do issues with the automotive that different guys wouldn’t have considered or he might not have seen one other man do earlier than.”
Hocevar’s end moved him to inside 4 factors of Kyle Busch, who holds the ultimate playoff spot with 12 races left within the common season. After beginning twenty sixth, it made the accomplishment much more significant.
“Tremendous pleased with our group and what we’re doing proper now,” Lambert stated on the workforce’s radio after the race. “We’re proving that we’re on course. We’re going to stick with it. The truth that we rallied and obtained this end tonight is simply one other instance of we’re on course.
“Good magic for subsequent week. Let’s have some enjoyable.”
