Carson Hocevar has awful night in NASCAR Truck race at Daytona

NASCAR Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar (77) spins during the Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Carson Hocevar has miserable evening in NASCAR Truck race at Daytona

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 10:47 PM ET

Carson Hocevar had plenty of speed and zero luck in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

The third-year Cup Series driver led 20 laps, tied with Michael McDowell and Justin Haley for the most on the evening. He won Stage 1. But he also spun twice due to flat tires, had his truck shut off multiple times and spun while trying to race in the pack despite already being three laps down.

Hocevar's rough weekend in the Truck Series began in practice on Thursday when his truck suffered a mechanical failure. But he was quick once Friday's race got going.

Carson Hocevar's race falls apart

Unfortunately for Hocevar, his race quickly fell apart. Two flat tires led to a pair of spins, taking him out of contention.

His final spin of the night didn't even draw a yellow flag, as he went around on the exit of turn 4 while racing in the pack.

The Hocevar Hat Trick™️ https://t.co/EKAqwZ9Jr5
— Zach Sturniolo (@zachstur) February 14, 2026

That spelled the end of Hocevar's night. He finished 35th after completing only 88 of 102 laps.

Fortunately for Hocevar, he's not racing for points in the Craftsman Truck Series. His 2026 Cup Series campaign is already off to a solid start, as he earned nine points with a runner-up finish in his duel race on Thursday and will start sixth in the Daytona 500.

Hocevar will also compete in Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race (5 p.m. ET, the CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), driving the No. 42 Chevrolet for Young's Motorsports.

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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