NASCAR Insiders: Carson Hocevar is someone drivers do not want to see in Playoffs

Carson Hocevar has been putting in good work on the track, and two NASCAR insiders are taking notice. On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about how dangerous Hocevar could be at the end of the year.

“He’s getting closer to the playoff cut line, even though he lost a spot today. But that is a guy that… The field does not want Hocevar in the playoffs,” Gluck said. “That is a guy you would love to not see in the playoffs if you’re Hocevar because you don’t know what kind of speed he’s going to bring, you don’t know what he’s going to do, you don’t know how aggressive he’s going to be to make the rounds.”

“Imagine him in a cutoff race at Bristol needing a spot or two spots,” Bianchi said. “Forget the short-track package. Just put Hocevar in the playoffs, needing to race his way into the next round that would change everything.”

Carson Hocevar led 32 laps at Michigan race

Gluck also talked about how he wrote a profile on Carson Hocevar and revealed that he’s all about NASCAR. “This guy’s a fan just like a lot of you watching it,” he said. “I think that’s very refreshing for fans. He often goes up in the stands and watches lower-series races. He’s into it, and I think a lot of drivers you see sort of run from their fandom a little bit. …He’s still in fan mode.”

During the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Hocevar led a career-high 32 laps before suffering a flat tire at Lap 182. He finished 29th on Sunday.

“I felt like I screwed us a little bit by going a little early to put us in that fuel number,” Hocevar said after the race, per NASCAR.com. “You lose the race both ways, right? You either run out (or this). But they should probably go to bed a little bit (easier) that somehow, some way we ran something over or something in the universe wanted a left-rear flat.”

Hocevar has yet to win a race in his Cup Series career but has earned P2 finishes at Atlanta and Nashville this year. In 59 Cup Series races, the 22-year-old has earned nine top-10 finishes and was named Rookie of the Year in 2024.