Carson Hocevar signs extension with Spire Motorsports

After battling near the front of the pack at times during Wednesday night’s Cook Out Clash, Carson Hocevar revealed some big news on Thursday afternoon. He has signed an extension with Spire Motorsports.

The extension will see the 23-year-old retained at Spire and keep him driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 “into the next decade.” Spire issued a press release announcing the news.

Hocevar has certainly held his own on the track since rising to the Cup Series level. He was named the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year after a strong initial campaign.

A year ago, Hocevar notched two second-place finishes, nine Top 10s and won his first career pole position on the senior circuit. The news comes amid high expectations for 2026.

“This shows we’re all committed and eager to race with each other for a long time,” Hocevar said in the press release. “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.”

Though Hocevar has been very competitive on the track, his time at the Cup Series level has also not been without incident. He drew significant backlash last year in Mexico.

Hocevar was fined $50,000 for derogatory comments about Mexico City. He has also been fined $50,000 for reckless driving, endangering safety crews.

Hocevar has had his beef with numerous drivers at various points, most notably with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. In any case, Spire is confident it has a driver it can bank on for the future.

“It’s a pretty big moment for our company to announce an extension with Carson that takes us out for multiple years,” said Dickerson, Spire Motorsports co-owner. “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 and he may have to adjust the dosage appropriately but, it’ll be worth it.”