Carson Hocevar’s Fight at Darlington Results in P4

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Carson Hocevar turned a difficult start into one of the most impressive drives of the day Sunday at Darlington Raceway, charging from the rear of the field to a fourth-place finish.

Hocevar was sent to the rear before the green flag due to unapproved adjustments after brushing the wall in practice, negating a 16th-place qualifying effort. From there, the Spire Motorsports driver faced an uphill battle at one of NASCAR’s most demanding tracks.

Despite the early setback, Hocevar quickly began working forward, climbing to 30th by Lap 7. However, a long green-flag run in Stage 1 trapped him a lap down, leaving him 24th at the end of the opening stage.

The race began to turn in Stage 2. Following a spin by Erik Jones, Hocevar and his team elected to take the wave-around, putting the No. 77 Chevrolet back on the lead lap. By Lap 148, he had cracked the top 20 for the first time all afternoon and continued his steady march forward, finishing Stage 2 in 16th.

Hocevar restarted the final stage in 19th with 100 laps remaining and wasted little time continuing his charge. With 67 laps to go, he had worked his way into the top 10, and just a few laps later found himself battling Ryan Blaney for 7th.

A strategic decision to stay out longer allowed Hocevar to lead two laps before making his final pit stop with 47 laps remaining. The cycle dropped him back to 17th, but he quickly regained momentum in the closing run.

Over the final green-flag stretch, Hocevar sliced through the field, completing a remarkable comeback drive. After running an average position of 18th and passing more than 120 cars under green-flag conditions, he ultimately secured a fourth-place finish — his best result of the 2026 season.

With the strong run, Hocevar now sits 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, -174 points behind leader Tyler Reddick and +12 points above the playoff cutline.

For Hocevar, the result was more than just a top-five finish — it was a statement drive, showcasing both resilience and racecraft at a track known for testing even the sport’s best.