Hocevar focuses on positive after promising Cup debut spoiled by brake trouble

Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR dream Cup Series debut came to an abrupt end in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300. Now he’s just hopeful that another one will come.

The Craftsman Truck Series regular was called up for a shock Cup start by Spire Motorsports early in the week, filling in for Corey LaJoie in the No. 7 Chevrolet while he substituted for the suspended Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports. It continued a relationship between Hocevar and Spire that’s seen him make a pair of Xfinity Series starts that ended in top-10s this season, while also competing full-time in Trucks for Niece Motorsports. Hocevar entered with high hopes but minimal expectations, hoping just to put together a clean race, be competitive and reach the checkered flag.

For 90 laps, the Michigander impressed. Hocevar out-qualified LaJoie in 26th on Saturday and climbed inside of the top-20 with a strong opening run. He was running 16th on lap 90 when a broken brake rotor sent him into the outside wall in a race-ending crash.

The stat sheet will show Hocevar as a last-place finisher in his debut. But the 20-year-old prospect was just happy to have been competitive after he was cleared at the infield care center.

“I had a blast,” Hocevar said. “I’m just so thankful for the opportunity.

“I don’t have a job for next year. I know (Niece Motorsports co-owner) Al Niece and (general manager) Cody Efaw are sitting there, (wanting) me to run for them. And I’ll forever run a race, or however many.