“Expected to Run 2–3 Spots Worse”- Denny Hamlin Predicts Tough Times for Spire Motorsports Latest Recruit After Dream Cup Debut With Jimmie Johnson

When a rookie sets his foot for the first time in the arena of stock car racing, it’s usually a ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series that he looks forward to. After a few years of running a truck, perhaps he could get promoted to the Xfinity Series. However, that’s not easy at all. Take Hailie Deegan for example. The 22-year California native has been driving in the Truck Series for 3 years now with two different teams. And yet, she had a hard time stepping up her future in NASCAR before AM Racing signed her for the 2024 season of the Xfinity Series. But for Carson Hocevar, things have not been that difficult.

Driving Truck this year, he skipped a grade and shook hands with Spire Motorsports directly for a Cup ride in 2024. And don’t get it wrong, it’s no fluke that has gotten Hocevar this golden opportunity. By means of sheer talent, he showed while substituting Legacy Motor Club ex-driver Noah Gragson, the 20-year-old landed the ride in Spire’s #77 Chevy. However, Denny Hamlin had some harsh words to say for this young speedster.

Denny Hamlin’s wild guess; or more like an unfortunate prediction for Hocevar

When Noah Gragson got suspended from NASCAR for violating the member conduct section of the 2023 NASCAR rulebook, the seat of his #42 Chevrolet was left vacant. It is then that team owner and 7-times Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson chose Carson Hocevar as the replacement for Gragson. And that too, for good reason.

At the young age of 14, Hocevar became the youngest champion in NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series history, besides earning three wins in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Pro Late Model Tour. Fast forward to 2021, an 18-year-old Hocevar scored 3 top-5s and 8 top-10 finishes, flaunting his career-best result of a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In 2023, Hocevar won his first Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, followed by wins at Nashville Superspeedway and Richmond Raceway. For most of the year, Hocevar has driven a Legacy Motor Club car. And it is the results of that ride that has earned him a full-time Cup series deal. Despite all of these glorious achievements, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin feels like his position would deteriorate if and when he starts driving full time for Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series.

In the latest installment of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said, “I would say expectations should be for him [in Spire Motorsports] to run probably on average 2 or 3 spots worse than what he’s currently running in the 42 [Of Legacy Motor Club].

“That’s just a guess, I have no idea. But that would put him in the range of kinda where Corey (LaJoie) is at.”

Despite Hamlin’s claims, Carson Hocevar is excited to board his Cup ride in 2024. What’s more, he even impressed NASCAR legend Bobby Labonte with his control over his Cup car at Texas Motor Speedway last month. Whatever the case might be, the 2024 season couldn’t come sooner for the 20-year-old.

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Carson Hocevar is ready to take on the Cup series despite all the “horror stories”

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Displaying an average finish of 22.5 in six starts, one for Spire Motorsports at World Wide Technology Raceway and the rest for LMC, Carson Hocevar put up a solid 11th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Even in Texas Motor Speedway, the way he drove his car seamlessly forced Bobby Labonte to be curious about how this young man could handle an 800 HP beast with such ease.

Hocevar owed a lion-share of his expertise to the extensive off-track work that he did as a simulation driver for Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing earlier in his career.

“Honestly before Gateway, I’ve done a year and a half at that time worth of work for Trackhouse,” admitted Hocevar. “I’ve seen all the horror stories per se of just learning this car. Just everything, the development from start to finish; learning a little bit on set-up stuff but just more so the feel of everything.”

“I was just more confident just being aggressive with the race car. I think a lot of people when they get in these cars, they still have those horror stories; they’re afraid to crash these things. I’ve been able to be at the limit of this car and find that rather quickly,” he added.

Will Hocevar prove 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin wrong? Can this budding star establish himself in the Cup Series? Only time will tell.

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