Carson Hocevar has been making waves among rookie drivers like Josh Berry, Kaz Grala, and Zane Smith, and he’s caught the eye of none other than racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. Recently, on his podcast, Dale Jr touched on Hocevar’s past penchant for causing wrecks in the Truck series, chalking it up to his youth and inexperience. Dale Jr shared that he too was a bit of a wild card early in his own career. But he’s got high hopes for Carson, noting his calmer demeanor these days, which he believes could be his ticket to scoring spots on even better teams down the road.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has been singing praises for Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar, who has quickly become one of the favorites in the Cup Series, starting his career with JR Motorsports racing team, not only earned his spot in the All-Star race by sheer performance but also by fan demand for his return to racing action. What really impresses Dale Jr, though, isn’t just Hocevar’s racing skills but his ability to stay collected under pressure.

On his podcast, Dale Jr recounted, “We’ve seen it, the late restarts at Martinsvill. I scr*wed that up absolutely in my first you know handful of months driving in the Xfinity Series. You put me 1997 me in that situation and I don’t do the job that Carson does. And same thing for this past weekend at Dover. All the chaos, right? The late restarts, sure he didn’t pull it off. He got beat on the final few restarts. Give up, you know, the spot to to Ryan Truex in turn three and four and it cost him the win. But his racecraft and his ability to take care of the car and get it to the end of the race and then not screw up and wreck or spin himself out on the last few restarts trying too har that’s, what I love about this kid.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr has been bigging up Carson Hocevar’s chill vibe as he gains more track time. He pointed out how Hocevar keeps it cool, even when the heat’s on. Sure, the kid shows his excitement when he wins, but Dale Jr highlighted some past hiccups where Hocevar might have lost his temper on the track like that time he got benched for a race in the cars tour. Despite that what’s impressive is how quickly he cools down once he’s out of the car, looking back with a level-headed take on things.

Junior also talked about how other drivers, not just rookies but even seasoned pros, often try to have the last word or toss out a sassy comment because the cameras are rolling. They want to make their mark, sometimes with a sharp jab during their post-race interview. But not Hocevar. He steers clear of that drama. And it’s paying off—Hocevar is currently leading the rookie standings and is on track to snag the Rookie of the Year award, too.

Spire Motorsports driver is currently topping the rookie charts in NASCAR

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We’re a quarter of the way through the NASCAR season, and it’s shaping up to be a tight race among the rookies as they gear up for the finale in Phoenix. Early in the season, a driver from Spire Motorsports was leading the rookie pack, but then Josh Berry stole the spotlight. His standout performance at Richmond, where he clawed his way from 30th to nearly second by the end of Stage 2, really turned heads. 

However, Carson Hocevar has regained the lead among the rookies. Sitting in 20th place overall, he’s got 187 points—just nudging ahead after the Dover race. Josh Berry has climbed up to 24th with 174 points. Meanwhile, Zane Smith and Kaz Grala are a bit further back, holding the 35th and 34th spots, respectively.

While Josh Berry, Zane Smith, and Kaz Grala are struggling to consistently crack the top 20, Hocevar is proving he’s got what it takes. Racing the #77 Chevrolet Camaro for Spire Motorsports, he’s racked up five top-20 finishes, including a top-10 at Texas Motor Speedway—his best showing in the Cup Series yet. Hocevar is proving to be the most solid performer among the rookies this year, firmly placing him as a strong contender for Rookie of the Year.