Spire Motorsports’ shopping cart has been on a roll in the last few weeks. After announcing that Trackhouse Racing’s Zane Smith would be part of their team in 2024, they went on to purchase Kyle Busch Motorsports from the 2-time Cup Series champion for an approximate sum of $30 million. And talking about big purchases that the team has recently made, how can we not mention the $40 million charter? However, it seems the team had one more surprise for the fans.
Shaking up the racing world with these multi-million dollar purchases, Spire showed everyone that it meant business trying to become a juggernaut in NASCAR. While one could have expected that they would be done by now, they have come out with yet another shocker.
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20-year-old Carson Hocevar is currently in his 3rd full-time season in trucks and has been impressing the community with his occasional Cup Series appearances. Taking the podium on Tuesday, Spire announced that he will be replacing Ty Dillon in the No. 77 car next year.
Despite his age, Hocevar had managed to turn the attention of legends like Dale Jr, and Jimmie Johnson towards him this season. As rumors connected the youngster to the teams of these Hall of Famers, Spire turned out to be the surprising dark horse who would get his services. Hocevar has already run a race for the team in the Cup Series this year and will remain with them for the foreseeable future. The driver is currently at the second spot in the Truck Series playoffs and is racing towards the championship race. His best finish in the Cup Series came at Bristol, where he finished P11 driving for Legacy Motor Club.
Making the announcement of his signing on NASCAR’s RaceHub, team co-owner Jeff Dickerson said, “Carson Hocevar is a proven winner and excels with every opportunity. He’s an undeniable talent and reminds me a lot of a young Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. We’re thrilled to have him join the Spire Motorsports family and help us continue to raise our competitive bar. (…) We think he’ll complement Corey and Zane very well.”
NEWS: @SpireMotorsport announces @CarsonHocevar has signed a multiyear contract to drive the No. 77 full time in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2024. pic.twitter.com/2JfTYRffND
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 10, 2023
With the purchase of the facilities of Kyle Busch Motorsports and now signing Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports looks set to create a mark in 2024. Their line-up on the grid, in particular, will be one with the potential to challenge the best there is.
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The strong line-up that Spire Motorsports will field in 2024 with Hocevar
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When Spire Motorsports enters the grid next year, its lineup will be headed by Corey LaJoie. The 32-year-old will be shouldered by the young Truck Series competitors Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar. With LaJoie’s improving performances and the potential of the younger drivers, we could see a Spire car in the 2024 playoffs. Talking about the dynamic that these three drivers bring together, YouTube Eric Estepp laid out the equation at Spire.
He said in his latest episode, “Man, they have a very interesting driver lineup next year. They’ve got Cory LaJoie who now becomes the veteran. He’s their anchor, their constant. Then there’s Zane Smith who’s kind of a wild card. (…) Carson Hocevar is potentially your future star. He’s got the raw speed he’ll figure out the Next Gen.”
Continuing about how Hocevar has the potential to overcome any setbacks that he might face initially, he concluded, “Cory LaJoie, Zane Smith sort of, and Carson Hocevar. That is a very interesting driver lineup. A very exciting young core!”
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With all the purchases that Jeff Dickerson has been making, his team will turn into a powerhouse in 2024. But before then, Hocevar has other tasks at hand. The youngster is eyeing the Truck Series championship this year. Let us know your thoughts on how Hocevar will fare in the current playoff and his first full-time Cup season!