Returning to Niece Motorsports for his third full-time season was Truck Series sensation Carson Hocevar who had a great season, making it past the regular season for the very first time in his career. While the 20-year-old was able to shatter all the expectations, finishing the season at a commendable 3rd spot finish with 4 wins and 11 top-5s, his journey to the top wasn’t without controversy.
In fact, the future Legacy Motor Club driver who has his Cup Series debut next season was simply a hell-raiser. This was especially the case at the championship race in Phoenix, where he spun Corey Heim in the closing laps. Amidst all this, Hocevar managed to make a name for himself owing to his antics, which eventually made him the 2023 Mobil1 Driver of the Year in the Craftsman Truck Series.
This, however, did not sit well with fans as they quickly pranced into action, brutally trolling the driver with comments like, “Led the entire series in bonehead decisions,” bashing the youngster unapologetically.
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Carson Hocevar wins the Driver of the Year award despite his debatable finishes
Before Ben Rhodes ascended the throne, edging out veteran Grant Enfinger in the championship decider in Phoenix, one driver was touted as the deserving winner. It was Corey Heim, arguably the favorite in all fans’ books, to win the title if it wasn’t for Hocevar and his antics.
Compared to Hocevar, Heim had a better finish rate with an average start & finish of 6 with 3 wins and 12 top 5s under his belt. Unfortunately, the bad blood with Hocevar during the final race proved to be costly, as Heim ruined his chances by taking out Hocevar in the final minutes of the race despite starting the race at the pole position.
What a year for the No. 4️⃣2️⃣!@CarsonHocevar is named the 2023 @Mobil1 Driver of the Year in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series! #NASCARAwards pic.twitter.com/ULMplXDujB
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) November 28, 2023
While one can argue that Heim brought this upon himself, getting a penalty from the organization after the incident, Hocevar’s intentions and his racing style have been in question more than once. Even veterans of the sport like Dale Earnhardt Jr during his podcast relayed how the driver would fare against the Cup Series roster if he goes on with this attitude.
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Despite all this, He was named Mobil1 Driver of the Year and that has riled up fans, enraging them to question the organization’s motive and the driver’s questionable persona.
Fans bombard the tweet with their comments, trashing and denouncing Hocevar
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Whether you are a fan of the driver or a fan of the sport, there is nothing fancy about the way the #42 driver raced recently. For some, he is outright plain aggressive, bumping off cars in front of him to get a win. This argument was pretty precedent throughout his 2023 campaign.
While he was caught in the act multiple times, spinning fellow driver to get the lead, he did the same in the Cup Series prompting fans to write, “He hooked 5 people in cup and trucks this year” and “NASCAR should let everyone hook each other since they claim he was driver of the year.”
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Another fan took a different approach when he slipped in a sarcastic jab, commenting, “Bros going to knock the trophy over.” On the other hand, some couldn’t even digest the fact that a driver who would blatantly spin out cars was named the Driver of the Year, “This is absolutely criminal”
Some fans were genuinely taken aback as they asked, “Respectfully, what happened to Corey Heim? Hocevar had a great season, but Heim seemed like he never finished outside the top 10 outside of Phoenix.”
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We are yet to see who wins NASCAR’s driver of the year award. But till then, do you think Hocevar was the most deserving to get this honor?