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When NASCAR was at its peak in the United States in the late 90s and early 2000s, one name ruled the roost in the sport: Dale Earnhardt.
Even now, 25 years after Earnhardt’s untimely death at the 2001 Daytona 500, the seven-time Cup Series champion is still the biggest name in the sport. Stars have come and gone, including Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who matched Earnhardt and Richard Petty’s record of seven titles.
But the series now finds itself at a crossroads, looking for a new face of the sport as it moves forward from an ugly offseason lawsuit involving NBA legend and NASCAR team owner Michael Jordan
As it does so, one name has emerged as a fan favorite who riled up fellow drivers not only with his aggressive on-track style but also with his impressive speed behind the wheel.
23-year-old Carson Hocevar has impressed so much that he’s drawn comparisons to Earnhardt himself from Petty and others within the sport.
Now, after picking up the first victory of his career at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar says he’s not running from those comparisons, but he’s just trying to be himself
Interview With Rising NASCAR Star Carson Hocevar
Hocevar is in his third full-time season in the Cup Series with the upstart Spire Motorsports team. After opening eyes with impressive runs on occasion in 2024 and 2025, the Portage, Michigan, native has put it all together in 2026, consistently running inside the top 10 before breaking through for his first victory at Talladega.
The victory itself sent the crowd at one of NASCAR’s most rowdy tracks into rapturous celebrations. But then came a unique celebration that only caused Hocevar’s already burgeoning popularity to skyrocket.
“Yeah, Talladega is just a special place and a unique place when it comes to the crowd and everything,” Hocevar said of the celebration. “And I remember growing up and watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. win there, and the way the crowd would react, and just wanted to find a way I could show my appreciation and connect with them to let them know that I could hear their cheers and acknowledge them.”
Hocever’s impressive success has led to fans continually linking him to bigger teams, especially the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports team. However, he recently signed a long-term contract extension and said he’s perfectly happy where he’s at.
“Yeah, it’s just a fun place to be and to come into work every day,” Hocevar told BroBible of his commitment to Spire. “You’ve got guys across the entire team who love what they do and who are committed to winning, and I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.”
Not Everyone Loves Hocevar’s Aggressive Style
While it’s led to success and, ultimately, his first career victory, Hocevar’s on-track style has rubbed plenty of his fellow drivers the wrong way.
“Puppies are great, but if they s— in your bed, you gonna just lay in it? Or teach the puppy where to properly take a dump?” veteran and future Hall of Famer Denny Hamlin said of Hocevar earlier this season after a wreck at Atlanta.
And Hamlin is far from the first one to call Hocevar out. But the rising star says he doesn’t plan on making any changes anytime soon.
“Yeah, you know, you heard the same types of things about Kyle Busch, about Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain,” Hocevar said of the criticism. “I think anytime you have a guy come in who is fast, people aren’t going to be happy about it. But all I can do is focus on myself and our race team and doing what’s best for them.”
That style, as much as the speed that Hocevar has shown, has earned him the Earnhardt comparisons, which he’s not entirely running from.
“You’re always going to be compared to someone,” he begins. “So obviously, if that’s the case, being compared to someone like Dale Earnhardt, you have to take it as a massive compliment, someone with his success and impact on the sport.
“I’m just trying to go out there and be myself. But any time you hear people like Richard Petty and Kyle Petty and Dale Jr. kind of saying those things, you’re obviously really appreciative of it.”
Keeping The Momentum Rolling
Hocevar will look to continue that success this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, a place where he earned his first career pole a year ago and ran inside the top 10 for much of the day before late issues.
“Obviously, we were all excited about Talladega, and we’re still excited about Talladega,” he said. “But at some point, it comes time where we have to, you know, kind of shut this down and take advantage of how excited we are to keep things rolling this week.”
No one can say for certain when Hocevar will win again. But almost anyone you ask will tell you one thing is certain: Hocevar will win again at some point.
And with each passing win, his popularity will continue to grow. At a time when NASCAR is doing anything and everything it can to find its next superstar, Carson Hocevar may well be sitting there in plain sight.