Unlike other sports, let alone motorsports, the athletes here do not conform to the general notion of age being the deciding factor for retirement. Rather, the world of stock car racing believes in the fact that with age comes experience. The drivers here do not peak in their twenties but in their mid-thirties. As a result, drivers in their early forties can be seen participating full-time in the sport. Still, nothing lasts forever, and as time plays its role, the veterans are replaced by the younger ones, and the world of NASCAR is gradually preparing itself for such transitions.

With the completion of the 2023 Cup Series, the grid for the next season reveals new faces that are set to join the veterans of the sport. The question that arises at this juncture is whether Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith, two debutants for 2024, will befit the sport. 

Tony Stewart delivers his stance on inexperience drivers making it to the Cup Series

When Tony Stewart signed JR Motorsports’ prized driver Josh Berry as the perfect replacement for Kevin Harvick, Stewart had stated his reasons for signing up the driver who was well past his prime. In the media presser, Stewart asserted, “I’m not interested in some kid’s father coming in and buying their way into the Cup Series. I have zero interest in that.”

“We want guys who earn their way, work hard, understand the values it takes to be a top-tier driver — not one who just got his high school diploma and now all of a sudden he’s a Cup driver.”

Although possessing talent, and showcasing it in various courses, Berry was unable to clinch a permanent seat in the elite world of NASCAR, until 2022. It was through Dale Earnhardt Jr that the driver was propelled to success. Nevertheless, in his short stint with NASCAR’s coveted series, the driver was able to make a mark and upgrade to the next, through sheer course of determination and hard work.

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While Berry, in his thirties, is set to make his permanent debut next year, on the opposite spectrum lies two other drivers who are still novices when it comes to competing at the highest level of the sport. Will the young prodigies be able to make a mark in the upcoming year’s championship?

The 2023 Cup Series season has been the most accomplished year for Justin Marks and his team Trackhouse Racing. Apart from fielding with the #91 Chevrolet car and hosting motorsports champions from various formats, the team was able to clinch a win in the inaugural street race at Chicago.

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Moreover, with the kickstarting of the silly season, owner Justin Marks grabbed the opportunity to expand his visionary Trackhouse Racing team. Owing to this, the 2022 Truck Series champion Zane Smith, who was speculated to join Tony Stewart in the Stewart-Haas Racing stable signed a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing as the team is associated with Spire Motorsports.

While Tony Stewart may have preferred experience over age, Zane Smith, still in his early twenties, has already collected several feathers that make him a favorable choice for the Cup Series. Apart from being crowned as the champion in the 2022 Truck Series season, Smith had scored 7 top ten finishes in just ten appearances in the Xfinity Series back in 2019. 

Furthermore, the driver has also made nine Cup Series appearances, his debut being the race at the Gateway back in 2022 for RFK Racing. Moreover, at the Coca-Cola 600 race in the 2023 season, Smith scored a top-10 finish. With an illustrious resume and impeccable performance, Smith believes that this catapulted the driver to his glory in the next season. 

After signing his contract with Trackhouse Racing, Smith expressed, “It’s so, so easy to be off on the Cup side. I figured that out with my limited starts this year, and it’s really hard to be on. It’s the quality of people you have on that make these cars go fast. It’s always been like that, but now everyone’s in a tighter area where everything’s more equal.”

It is not just Zane Smith that has made the headlines for his impeccable performance. The Truck Series prodigy we are talking about is Carson Hocevar. Although the driver failed to notch his Truck Series championship, in the 2023 season, after his lapse of judgment, he was still able to impress the team owners, especially the 7x Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

Will Carson Hocevar be able to keep up his aggressiveness in the Cup Series?

The Truck Series driver held the reins of the #42 Chevy of Legacy Motor Club after a year of dismal performance, and suspension of Noah Gragson. Before that, he made his Cup Series debut in June at Gateway, as a substitute for Corey LaJoie. He ran within the top 15 but was unable to notch a respectable finish, after the brake rotor failure.

The driver marked his best Cup Series finish at Bristol. He finished fifth in Stage 2 and ran within the top 10 for the major part of the evening. Hocevar ended the race in the eleventh position. Witnessing the aggressiveness of the driver, even the team owner Jimmie Johnson was awestruck. 

Hocevar is set to make a full-time debut in the Cup Series with Spire in the upcoming season. Receiving the rare opportunity in a short period, Hocevar, as per Racing America, admitted, “I mean, anybody in my position wants to be a Cup Series driver[…]”

“I have a unique opportunity to build something and grow with it while growing myself at the same time. For what we’ve been able to do from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to Cup is pretty crazy. I know it seems like a big jump. With all the tools and resources, and everybody at Spire Motorsports, they have put a lot of faith in me, and I have a lot of faith in them. We all have faith in the whole program. I feel like we can come out of the gate like we’ve done this for years.”

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With the 2023 Cup Series finally coming to a conclusion, it will be interesting to see how these two new Cup Series drivers can perform. It will be also fascinating to witness if Stewart’s age analogy is amplified in the 2024 season. Whether the drivers will be able to make it to the playoffs or fall flat will be a test of time.