Carson Hocevar’s rapid rise in the NASCAR Cup Series didn’t just come from natural talent—it was the result of a secretive, behind-the-scenes strategy. Before ever stepping into a Cup car, Hocevar was honing his skills in a way that gave him a unique advantage. He spent a year in the simulator, not just learning the tracks but studying the driving styles of some of NASCAR’s top competitors, particularly Ross Chastain.

When he made his Cup debut, Hocevar’s ability to adapt quickly and provide valuable feedback set him apart. His success didn’t happen by chance—he’d been preparing in a way that few rookies ever do, giving him an edge in his rookie season, becoming the Rookie of the Year. So what did he do that made him such a good driver in his debut year?

Carson Hocevar exposes the secret training he received at Trackhouse Racing

Before Carson Hocevar ever set foot in a Cup car, Hocevar was getting a unique training experience, one that many drivers don’t have access to. Through a year of simulator work, he wasn’t just practicing laps; he was studying the styles of two of Trackhouse’s stars, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez.

Hocevar was tasked with an interesting mission: he wasn’t there to set the fastest lap, but to mimic the driving styles of his future teammates. “My job was to match Ross Chastain and match Daniel Suárez with their driving styles and tell us what the car drives like,” Hocevar explained in a recent interview with the Athletic. Essentially, he became a kind of “imposter” in the virtual world, impersonating their moves on track and figuring out what made their cars tick when they were at their best. Although Hocevar drove for Spire Motorsports in 2024 and will continue to do so in 2025, he was the sim driver for Trackhouse Racing.

Essentially, what these simulators offer are ways of testing the car without actually physically doing so. The sim has every single detail taken into consideration, down to the tire pressure. This comes in handy when the teams are unsure of any adjustments they make to the actual car. Interestingly, fans can experience this simulator for themselves at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte.

For Carson Hocevar, it meant he could shadow Ross Chastain. It certainly had quite an effect on the driver’s performance in the 2024 season. In 2024, Hocevar became one of the brightest rising stars under the Chevrolet banner. His exploits in the simulator came in handy during the finale at Phoenix, when the team, as Hocevar explained, used the setup he ran in the simulator and consistently ran in the top 15.

This unconventional approach gave him an edge when it came to real-life racing. For example, during a substitution drive for Spire Motorsports in June 2023 at Gateway, Hocevar found himself referencing his simulator experience. “I said, ‘This is what the Trackhouse car felt like (in the sim). This is why these cars feel good,” he recalled. By aligning his feedback with what he’d studied in the sim, he suggested car adjustments that improved performance on race day.

The true magic came when Hocevar was able to apply this simulator-driven knowledge to a Cup car. Despite having no prior experience on the actual track, his simulator practice had given him a strong sense of what to expect. “I knew what I needed before I even drove a lap,” he told Jeff Gluck, recalling his time in the No. 7 car. He even matched Chastain and Suárez in the simulator on some occasions.

When the opportunity finally came to race in the Cup series, Hocevar wasn’t just looking for a race result; he had bigger goals in mind. “My goal was by the end of the race, I was going to get a Cup seat.” And with the skills he honed in the simulator, it’s no surprise that Hocevar’s rapid ascent from part-time substitute to a full-time contender was only a matter of time.

Carson Hocevar’s Expectations from 2025

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As Carson Hocevar gears up for a year with higher expectations, especially with an organization that’s seen as on the rise, he’s not fazed by the pressure. In a conversation with Jeff Gluck, he explains that the key to handling the spotlight is taking lessons from his past experiences.

“It’s going to be the mix of taking what Travis Peterson at Front Row, what Rodney Childers at Stewart-Haas, and what we did at Spire,” he says. The focus isn’t on reinventing the wheel but on taking the knowledge from different teams and continuing to build on what’s already working.

Hocevar emphasizes that improvement doesn’t come from making drastic changes, but from fine-tuning the details. “We’re looking for a tenth or a half-tenth of a second to be five or 10 spots better, not three-tenths,” he adds. With today’s NASCAR, the days of finding shortcuts like trick body designs or secret chassis tweaks are gone. It’s a process of steady, calculated improvement, and for Hocevar, that’s what will get him to the next level.

That being said, are you excited to see what Carson Hocevar has in store for 2025? Share your thoughts in the comment below.