Carson Hocevar already living up to his reputation as NASCAR’s newest star

Carson Hocevar never stops thinking about how he can connect with NASCAR fans, whether through zany social media posts or cheering beside them in the grandstands.

He devised a unique way to greet NASCAR Nation after the first Cup Series win of his career.

During a daring victory lap that bordered on dangerous, Hocevar piloted his No. 77 Chevrolet while hanging out the window. He enthusiastically slammed the car’s roof and saluted the crowd as he rolled down the Talladega Superspeedway frontstretch and performed a burnout.

“I thought, ‘Man, I have really long legs, and I wonder if I can hit the throttle and sit on the door and ride,’” Hocevar said. “I just wanted them to get as loud as possible. I felt like they would if they could see me seeing them. Hopefully, it was cool.”

Based on the cheers, the thousands in attendance loved the celebration.

Led by its new executive management team, NASCAR was just as eager to christen its newest star at the Alabama track known as the biggest party venue on the circuit.

A 23-year-old who embraces the quintessential Gen Z hallmarks of digital outreach and gaming, Hocevar also has an unvarnished and unapologetically aggressive side that has encouraged comparisons with Dale Earnhardt.

Just like “The Intimidator,” NASCAR broadcasters have affixed the Spire Motorsports driver with a nickname — “Hurricane Hocevar” — reflecting his willingness to stir up trouble as he relentlessly chases victories.

The day after being introduced as the first CEO in NASCAR’s 78-year history outside of the founding France family, Steve O’Donnell sat through Hocevar’s first news conference as a Cup Series winner Sunday and gave a thumbs up to the Portage, Michigan, native for “the coolest celebration I’ve ever seen.”

O’Donnell said his main goal is to bring fun back to NASCAR, whose popularity has eroded from a peak driven by charismatic personalities. Coming off a rough year that ended with settling a taxing lawsuit amid difficult testimony by Jim France (who turned over the CEO position to O’Donnell as nephew Ben Kennedy was named COO), NASCAR launched a “Hell Yeah” marketing campaign intended to emphasize its roots in moonshine running and rabble-rousing.

Hocevar seems the relatable star to carry that message while bridging the gap to a 21st-century audience.

“He’s one of those guys we’re going to rely on as a sport,” O’Donnell said on the “Inside the Race” podcast Sunday night after Hocevar’s win. “What we just watched, the excitement and enthusiasm, that emotion is what fans want to see. They want to embrace a guy like Carson Hocevar, who is not only winning but looks like they’re enjoying themselves.”

Hocevar often hangs out in the grandstands and pits during lower-tier races. On Saturday at Talladega, he cheered wildly from the pits as Garrett Mitchell, a popular YouTube automotive influencer known as “Cleetus McFarland,” nearly won an ARCA race.

“A lot of race fans, they probably always dream of racing,” Hocevar said. “Maybe they vicariously get to drive through me. I’m online a lot and in the stands. I’m not playing a character. I’m not acting for anybody.”

Hocevar said the idea for his Talladega celebration came from his win last November in “The 2.4 Hours of LeMullets,” an event at Cleetus McFarland’s Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida, that features souped-up Crown Victorias that once were police vehicles.

This isn’t quite the way Earnhardt would have done it, even if the victory lap evoked an iconic image of him leaning out of his cockpit to clean his windshield as the late seven-time champion drove under caution in a 1986 race.

Hocevar said the mimicry was unintentional, and he has resisted attempts to brand him as a successor to any NASCAR superstar.

“There’s no mold for Carson Hocevar,” said Luke Lambert, Hocevar’s crew chief. “Nobody had a focus group to decide what a driver should look like and came up with Carson Hocevar. He is unapologetically himself. I’ve never met anybody that’s exactly like him.”

When he hired Hocevar straight out of the Camping World Truck Series three years ago, Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson believed the team had “a star in the making.” Dickerson noted the juxtaposition of Cup champions who can’t stand Hocevar (who has feuded with Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney) with the fans who love him.

“This kid knows how to stand on the gas,” Dickerson said. “He has probably the most irrational confidence of a driver I’ve ever seen.”

The brashness is natural for Hocevar, who enjoys quoting the comedy film “Talladega Nights” while wearing a goofy firesuit designed to make him look like a cowboy with a big belt buckle and jeans. Smiling widely and sporting a black 10-gallon hat, he gleefully relished the thought of his Talladega ride going viral.

“I”m going to be on my phone all night just watching this stuff,” he said.

Team shake-up

A day after Kyle Busch delivered the first top 10 this season for Richard Childress Racing, the team announced a new crew chief for the two-time Cup Series champion.

Taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet starting at Texas Motor Speedway, Andy Street was reassigned from the role of RCR performance director to replace Jim Pohlman, who will move into a leadership position. Pohlman was the crew chief for only 10 races with Busch, who is mired in the worst slump of his two-decade career and ranked 27th in the points standings.

“This move is about putting our people in the best position to succeed,” team owner Richard Childress said in a release. “We have strong talent across this organization, and we’re focused on having each person in the right position to help deliver the results we expect.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing