Carson Hocevar merely desires to be the type of driver he grew up watching whereas NASCAR itself is working diligently to create content material that spotlights these sorts of personalities.
That is the type of course of that led to the creation of RISING, a documentary sequence releasing on YouTube with a brand new episode at 7 ET each night time this week, that spotlights younger weapons Hocevar, Jesse Love and Rajah Caruth.
Because the spotlighted Cup Collection driver, Hocevar is the de facto primary character of the sequence, and a willingness to be beneath such a microscope is true to type for a character that lives his life very publicly.
Hocevar famously spends his evenings on Twitch streams and his winter low season plans embody racing at filth observe and brief observe occasions the place he can be very accessible to anybody who desires to fulfill him.
So naturally, a documentary the place cameras adopted him round all season, simply didn’t really feel that invasive. It’s going to point out the ups and downs of competing on the highest ranges of NASCAR.
“I believe it is wholesome for a present to have the great, unhealthy and the ugly, proper,” Hocevar stated throughout a Monday teleconference. For me, I am comfy being susceptible on a digital camera simply because I believe that is wholesome.
“Life is not all sunshine and rainbows, and when every part is PR or portrayed that approach, the world can see via that fairly simply and really feel like one thing is faked or no matter. I need to watch ‘genuine’ and ‘actual’ and there is a cause drama or clickbait sells. I believe exhibits want that.
“With some actuality exhibits, quite a bit if that’s faked, regardless that it is entertaining be so scripted however this was actually gratifying for me, how genuine it was, and the way susceptible I did get at instances. There have been instances when it was tough, and I did want it wasn’t being filmed, however on the similar time, I look again on it and was completely satisfied that it was and I believe followers can be too.”
And that type of storytelling is one thing that NASCAR has leaned into since hiring John Dahl as Senior Vice President of Content material in 2024. Dahl was one of many unique government producers for the ’30 for 30’ sequence renown for its authenticity.
Dahl has introduced that to NASCAR, the model most distinguished within the well-received Full Velocity and Earnhardt documentaries, with the chief believing the game has a treasure trove of younger personalities.
“What we’re wanting (to highlight) is characters and folks, drivers on this case, who’re prepared to open up and never simply current a cultured PR have a look at their lives, and are prepared to be susceptible,” Dahl stated.
“These are drivers which have an fascinating story, a backstory, and we see it with all three over the course of those 5 episodes, that they’ve inspiring and fascinating backgrounds. We present them as human beings, and as we develop our viewers for NASCAR, we glance to do storytelling that’s genuine and relatable, and that’s what we acquired right here with RISING.”
Hocevar, who is usually a polarizing driver on the observe, additionally doesn’t draw back from sharing his opinions irrespective of how they are going to be obtained. He has achieved that from the second he arrived within the brief observe scene as an adolescent at Berlin Raceway and that character trait continues into his third season on the Cup Collection degree.
“There are some younger drivers on the market, 15 years previous, they usually present as much as the observe with good pants they usually appear like salesman,” Hocevar stated. “They’ve buttoned up shirts and their sponsors on them, principally their household enterprise, they usually attempt to play an element.
“I by no means had that. I used to be displaying as much as the race observe in shorts, and simply needed to race, and I all the time thought that even when that is what you’re imagined to do, at the least I stand out by not doing it.”
Hocevar says he desires to return throughout as simply an atypical man that will get to race excessive degree vehicles in RISING as a result of that’s precisely who he’s. He isn’t enjoying a personality or an archetype.
He simply desires to be the racer that he would have cheered for as a child.
“This can be a have a look at who I’m behind shut doorways and the way can I be the motive force that I used to be a fan of rising up,” Hocevar stated. “We now have YouTube documentaries and streaming providers, content material creators, in order that’s new.
“However even racing the La Mullets (race at Freedom Manufacturing facility owned by Cleetus McFarland), that acquired a loopy variety of viewers and that began with a man that was simply taking pictures content material together with his iPhone, and it’s simply enjoyable to observe.
“So finally, I simply need to hopefully develop the game, and never be a disservice to five-year-old me that fell in love with the game. It will be a disservice to that child and each child like me if I shied away from going into the stands, having fun with a Xfinity or Vehicles race, and never positing in regards to the issues I do.
“I simply hope that it strikes the needle, as a result of I’m captivated with this sport, and seeing children with their dad and mom as a result of I used to be that child as soon as.”
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