NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Carson Hocevar running NASCAR Truck Series opener at Daytona

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 11:37 AM ET

Another NASCAR Cup Series driver has tossed their hat into the ring for the Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona on Feb. 13.

On Thursday, it was announced that Carson Hocevar will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Fresh From Florida 250 on Feb. 13. Hocevar is entering his third full-time Cup Series season driving for Spire Motorsports.

Hocevar's truck will have sponsorship from Best Buy and IKEA.

Hocevar joins an already star-studded field for the Truck Series season opener. Alongside the series regulars who are chasing the 2026 championship, Tony Stewart, Travis Pastrana, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek, among others, are racing in the Truck Series race at Daytona.

NEWS: @CarsonHocevar will run the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona in the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for @SpireMotorsport.@IKEA and @BestBuy will be co-primary sponsors for the effort. pic.twitter.com/bG2AuLLZPV
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) January 29, 2026

Carson Hocevar will be a threat to win

Hocevar, a 23-year-old driver from Portage, Mich., is a veteran of 81 Truck Series starts and is a five-time Truck Series winner. He's also run 81 Cup Series races and seven races in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Daytona has been a good track for Hocevar in Truck Series competition. In three starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, he has finishes of fifth, ninth and 12th, though he's yet to lead a lap in a Truck Series race at the "World Center of Racing."

The Fresh From Florida 250 is scheduled to go green shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 13, with coverage on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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