MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 5, 2026) – Spire Motorsports and Carson Hocevar have reached a long-term agreement that will see the 23-year-old rising star at the controls of the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the next decade.
Hocevar, a native of Portage, Mich., is the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year and one of the division’s most recognized talents. Anchored by a host of blue-chip partners including Chili’s Grill and Bar, Delaware Life, MINER, Modo Casino and Zeigler Automotive Group in 2025, Hocevar turned in a banner sophomore season highlighted by his first career pole position on NASCAR’s senior circuit, a pair of runners-up and nine top-10 finishes.
“It’s a pretty big moment for our company to announce an extension with Carson (Hocevar) that takes us out for multiple years,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “It’s not just about knowing he’ll be here with us for the long-haul, but it gives our sponsors and competition group the foresight to make their own plans knowing he’s in the seat of the No. 77 as far as we can see. It has been an absolutely rewarding experience getting to know Carson and watching him grow up, and learn from the good and bad both at and away from the racetrack. I love him like a son and it means a great deal to me, personally, knowing he’ll be here for several years. I expect this announcement could test the effectiveness of my blood pressure medication, so I’ve alerted my physician he may have to adjust the dosage appropriately but, it’ll be worth it.”
The Portage, Mich., native impressed throughout his rookie season in 2024, earning top rookie honors on the strength of one top-five, six top-10 and 13 top-15 finishes, including a then-career best third-place finish in the Cup Series’ September visit to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. He became the third Michigan-born driver to accomplish the feat, was the top-finishing rookie in 15 of the 36 points-paying races and his 686 points accumulated out-distanced his next closest competitor by 107 points.
“I love to race and there’s really no place better to race than here,” said Hocevar.
That passion for racing will allow Hocevar to spend additional time behind the wheel in various disciplines. Hocevar will aid Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team in their pursuit of the 2026 series owner’s championship, competing in the maximum number of races allowed via the sanctioning body. He will also make a return to the seat of Spire Motorsports’ dirt late model for select races and contend for wins in some of the largest pavement super late model races in the country.
“This shows we’re all committed and eager to race with each other for a long time,” continued Hocevar. “I think of Jeff (Dickerson) as a father figure, but the same could be said for Luke (Lambert, crew chief), Tyler (Green, spotter), Bill (Anthony, Spire Motorsports’ president) and all the No. 77 guys. Everyone in the building, has really become a family to me. Spire is such a different team now compared to how it was my rookie season, and especially when I made my debut in 2023. It’s fun to know I’m going to be around the Cup garage for a long time, and really a dream come true.”
Hocevar made his Cup Series debut for Spire Motorsports on June 4, 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway, when he was just 20-years-old. In addition to his first appearance in NASCAR’s premier division, he made four NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts for Spire Motorsports in 2023, earning top-10 finishes at Darlington Raceway (sixth) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth).
Prior to his time at Spire Motorsports, he competed full-time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series for Niece Motorsports. In 81 series starts, Hocevar has racked up five wins, 22 top fives, 34 top 10s and led 731 laps. He earned CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoff berths in all three of his full-time campaigns while reaching the Championship 4 in 2023.
Hocevar cut his teeth in the pavement late model ranks across the Midwest and has earned wins in some of the nation’s premier super late model events, including the Battle at Berlin, Money in the Bank 150, Redbud 400 and Winchester 400.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and High Limit Racing.
The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.
In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in High Limit Racing competition.
