NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
MARCH 20, 2026
Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Darlington Raceway.
Media Availability Quotes:
You are running a throwback this weekend. Talk a little bit about that, how that came together and the history behind that…
“Yeah, so it was Chili’s idea that kind of came to me. They were like, is there any scheme you want to run? This was last year… they were like, we want to run a throwback. Instantly, I was like, I want to run the Bud No. 8. I thought it was perfect. But then they were like, well, we kind of want to go with this cowboy theme… what about this? So it was all their idea. I didn’t understand for a minute because I was like, blue and yellow, that doesn’t really work with your colors. But once they kind of explained it, their thought process, they just really wanted the picture recreated and fit in their cowboy theme with ‘Ride the Dente’ and everything. It made a lot of sense for their side.
Yeah, it turned out cool. I listened to Dale Jr.’s podcast and everything. That’s his favorite scheme. I kind of laughed… I was like, cool, I at least get to run somewhat of a Dale Jr. scheme because he ran that in the Busch race at Daytona. I just kind of laughed about that from my era. That’s where I recognize the scheme the most from when I was born. I don’t have the greatest appreciation for the Dale Sr. scheme because it was a long time after that I was born. But, yeah, obviously, it’s super cool to run the scheme.”
Obviously, the Dale Earnhardt comparisons with you are nothing new. You’ve heard a lot about it by now. Do you plan this weekend with Darlington being kind of such a classic track for that old-school hard-nosed race that Dale was? Have you thought about maybe, and you can interpret this in any way you want, having the tribute kind of bleed over into maybe the way you’re driving too, like pulling Earnhardt-type moves out there if you get the chance?
“I mean, I think I’ve hit enough people already (laughs). I don’t know… I’m just driving how I want to drive. I don’t really love the comparisons of what they turn into. It started by just kind of not apologizing after running into people, basically, and just being really, really aggressive, to turning into kind of the ‘I’m as good as him’. I was like, I don’t know where that came from.
So, yeah, I just plan on driving. I’m just hoping I’m fast enough or we’re good enough that we can actually be up front and be relevant, especially with that scheme. But, yeah, I’m just me. I’ve been saying it for a long time. I like just being me. You know, it’s a lot easier that way for my sake. I don’t like to have to be anybody I’m not.”
The Suarez-Chastain incident made me wonder how former teammates race each other. Do you feel like Justin Haley races you any different now in the truck, or maybe do the former Nieces teammates that you have race you different? Is there any difference?
“No. It hasn’t really been relevant for my sake. You know, I haven’t really got a chance to race my teammates. You know, they’re starting that RAM deal and they haven’t been super-fast yet or anything, so I haven’t been around Justin (Haley). I think me and Ross (Chastain) race each other really hard, but I think he’s known for racing everybody hard so I’m not getting any special treatment or anything.
But no, I don’t know. I was off doing stuff, and I was busy. I didn’t even know Daniel (Suarez) and Ross got into it, if I’m being honest. So that was news to me.”
Kind of following up on that, have you in the past, not asking names, have you had teammates you just flat don’t get along with, for any reason? And then, if you’re going to give me a ‘yes’, how do you navigate that?
“Well, for my sake, there’s been a lot of turnover. You know, even with Niece (Motorsports), like I don’t think I’ve had anybody more than one year. And even on the Cup side, I don’t think I’ve had anybody more than one year, except now Michael (McDowell). I just kind of do my own thing anyways. Even if we’re not buddy-buddy, per se, I probably don’t talk to him as much as Daniel does. Like Daniel and Michael, they get along super well on the prep side because they look at a lot of data, and I look at no data. I have my own way of looking at it. I really like watching real cars go around in circles. So with that, even at the superspeedways this year, we’ve been good and it’s the best on-track feel I’ve had with teammates. Daniel’s a really good helper, been a good supporter and fit that kind of role of being a team helper here. I’m really buying into that. So I’ve appreciated him for that.
But, no, I haven’t really had that be an issue yet or anything. You know, there’s just been a lot of turnover in Trucks, and even in Cup, the seats next to me have kind of been a revolving door.”
On the throwback scheme, this year the pause button has been hit and they kind of left it up to everybody and there was no emphasis to do it. But as someone who loves the history of the sport and appreciates it, was it important for you to continue this?
“I really wanted to do one. But, no, this was their idea even before throwback weekend went away. I felt like this one made a lot of sense for them, just because they specifically bought this race kind of with that in mind, so this was important to them.
And also, too, when it all stops and everybody goes away, you’re then kind of the only one running a throwback or a lot less emphasis and you can kind of stand out more, which is good for a brand and their idea, I have to imagine.”
Did you guys communicate with Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) or anyone from the family at all to say, hey, we have this idea? Is there some things you want to contribute to it, or do you surprise them with it and he kind of sees it when we all do?
“Yeah, it was kind of a surprise to me a little bit on some of the things. But I meant to text them and I was like, ah, it’s a little too far out… let me get the scheme and everything and let me send them a picture. They were going to do it. But, yeah, I just kind of wanted to send it to Dale Jr. because me and him have that relationship and just kind of be like, man, what do you think of this? Do you think it’s cool? And, honestly, Darlington just kind of just snuck up on me. I forgot how quickly it happened. You know, once you get racing a season and everything comes up so fast that it was like, oh, shoot… like it’s already going to be announced with a photo shoot or whatever. Otherwise, I would have texted him, but I just honestly forgot.”
We’ve seen a lot of projections for this weekend coming out of the sim of what we think this race is going to look like. What have you experienced in the sim and what is your projection for Sunday?
“My sim has me wide-open in (turn) one and two all day long. So, it’s a lot of grip. If that’s right, I think we’ve got them covered (laughs).
No, honestly, I think it’s going to be tough. I think it will be fun to watch. I’m curious. I think, hopefully, that there’s some guys or teams that miss the setup and hopefully we’re on the right end of it. I think it will spread out a lot. I can foresee that. Qualifying is going to be important. I mean, we saw it in Las Vegas — when there’s no cautions, it’s kind of old school. There’s about 17 cars on the lead lap and that’s all that’s left. But, you know, it’s all you’re racing… 17 cars because they never get a chance to get back on the lead lap. So, I can foresee this being similar or more aggressive and that there just might not be a lot of cautions. And, you know, everybody’s fighting their race cars, so the really, really good guys can just kind of pull by everybody.”
I wanted to look ahead a couple of weeks to Rockingham. I know a lot of Cup Series drivers are looking forward to a weekend off, but it looks like you’re going to be in the truck for that. Just wanted to gauge, what’s your experience level there? What are you looking forward to the most about competing in that event?
“I’ve never ran a lap around Rockingham, so I’m excited to go do it. I’m excited to just go run laps around there. It’s been a cool track that I’ve always wanted to race at. It’ll be fun to get a whole weekend that I get to just get to go run a truck. You don’t have to worry about the Cup car or where you are in points or anything. I can just go out there and hopefully beat up on the Truck field a little bit. That’s our goal, at least.”
You said you learn differently than Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell. I’m kind of curious, is it more of watching video and former YouTube stuff? Because when I talk to Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love, they really watch old videos to kind of hone their craft…
“Yeah, I just really can’t take anything away from SMT. If they shut it off for everybody, I wouldn’t go any slower. But I think others would, so I think it would help me. I get the most out of watching old races or even older races, really. You just see stuff, and I just kind of compare weird things. I was at COTA one week, and I was comparing it to Martinsville for one corner of how I wanted my car, which sounds really weird for a lot of people that are new to our shop. That’s just kind of how I operate. I feel like I can take anything from anything. I watch old races, but I just live with late-2000s Cup races on my TV the whole time. I feel like somewhere or another, I’ll learn something from something I see or watch and can attach it to today, but then you watch the current races or current cars. But yeah, I just don’t get a lot from data and squiggly lines. It doesn’t really make sense to me. It never really has worked for me, but for others, it does. Daniel and other drivers, they get a lot out of it. They live and die by it almost, Everybody has their own way to do it.”
Looking at old videos, did you kind of attract yourself to the ‘Earnhardt Mystique’?
“As a kid, I watched every documentary ever. I watched the Tony (Stewart) documentary; the Kasey Kahne one, the Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. back in the day, and then obviously all the Dale (Earnhardt Sr.) documentaries. But also, all the Race Hub and Speed exclusives, that’s all I watched. I didn’t really watch cartoons. That’s what I watched. I just felt like they did a really good job when I was growing up of having all that available and for kids or people to be able to learn. So that’s what I did.”
To kind of follow up then on your video watching, is that kind of how you’re going to prepare yourself for the Rockingham since you’ve never been around that track?
“A little bit, maybe. Yeah, I’ve just watched it for so long. But I was there in person and watched the Truck race and the O’Reilly’s race, so I think I have a good idea of how to get around that place. But I’ve got however long in practice to figure it out. I’m looking forward to just kind of going there blind and enjoying it. It’s my game of golf, per se, that I just get to go enjoy it with zero pressure.”
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