Did Spire Motorsports Jump the Gun With Carson Hocevar’s Cup Series Promotion?

Carson Hocevar will walk into a full-time role in the NASCAR Cup Series as a villain. The 21-year-old is one of the few people who will race in the biggest stock car racing competition in the world without running a single full-time Xfinity Series season. While it is a landmark in the young man’s career and an incredible opportunity, one can’t help but wonder, is he really good enough for the job yet?

Hocevar has raced three full-time seasons in the Truck Series and has finished in the top 10 on points every time. 2023 was his best performance as he made it to the championship race and finished P3 on the table. While those numbers are commendable, they are not convincing enough for him to have a full-time cup seat.

Carson Hocevar’s record in the Cup Series is not flattering

Let’s take a moment to look at how the 21-year-old has performed in the Cup Series races he has started. Carson Hocevar has raced 9 times in the competition so far with only one top-15 finish to his name (P11, Bristol, 2023). That is not a flattering statistic as far as Spire Motorsports is concerned. It’s no surprise that when the team announced his signing as a full-time driver, fans were confused.

And his Cup Series record is just the tip of the iceberg. The only big competition that Hocevar has any real experience in is the Truck Series. And there is a big difference between the cars in that and the Cup. That is where the Xfinity Series comes in. The second-tier NASCAR competition has a car that prepares a driver for the machinery they would have to operate in the Cup. But Carson Hocevar has only run 5 Xfinity races in his career. Although, he did finish in the top 10 in two of them.

And then comes the most challenging part of being a driver, something that has killed the careers of many. Pressure. When you’re a Cup Series driver, the nation’s eyes are on you. There is nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. One has to be ready for the barrage of criticism by fans and even insiders if they make a mistake or keep messing up consistently.

And messing up has been a big part of the 21-year-old’s career. There have been several instances where he has lost his head and ruined his own or someone else’s race. The argument can be made that he’s only 21. But if to race in the Cup Series demands a certain level of maturity.

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Several Cup racers slammed the 21-year-old after his Truck Series antics

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Remember the finale of last year’s NASCAR Truck Series? Carson Hocevar single-handedly angered the entire racing community with his actions. Yes, one may say that it was Corey Heim who ultimately wrecked the former Niece Motorsports driver. However, it is important to note that the 21-year-old was the one who ruined Heim’s race.

The Spire Motorsports driver was slammed by several members of the NASCAR community, some of whom he will be competing against this year. Hocevar did apologize for his actions and expressed a lot of regret, but Cup Series racers simply weren’t buying it.

Tyler Reddick shared a tweet on X when the incident took place in which he wrote, “This dumb*ss will never learn.” He was not alone in his criticism. Former Cup Series champions Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Busch also shared their disappointment with the young driver who will have to be extremely wary this season.

The pressure he will feel throughout this year will be massive and there is no way to get around that. Will Carson Hocevar be able to cope with it and earn some decent results? Only time will tell.

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