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

Carson Hocevar put everything on the line while trying to win Autotrader 400

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 22, 2026 7:34 PM ET

Any doubt that Carson Hocevar won't do whatever it takes to win a NASCAR Cup Series race should be quelled after Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway.

Hocevar didn't win on Sunday, but the third-year driver finished fourth and made plenty of noise in the process.

Hocevar had a flat tire early in the race and went two laps down before getting himself back onto the lead lap and back into the race-winning conversation.

After making several wild moves to get himself into a position to win the race, Hocevar restarted on the outside lane of the second row for the race's first overtime restart. But rather than trying to push Christopher Bell and take a run down the backstretch, Hocevar instead channeled a quote from the late Ayrton Senna: "If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

Trouble on the restart ... and we're headed to double overtime! pic.twitter.com/DnpyfN2vcp
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 23, 2026

The problem was that there was no gap to speak of. Hocevar turned Bell into the turn 1 wall, relegating Bell to a 21st-place finish and re-racking the field for another overtime attempt.

Second time not the charm for Carson Hocevar

Hocevar restarted alongside Bubba Wallace on the front row on the race's final restart and was alongside Tyler Reddick at the white flag, but was cleared by Reddick and never got the chance to take another shot at the lead.

For the second year in a row, a victory at Atlanta eluded Hocevar.

"I guess we're really good at getting to the white flag [and] leading," Hocevar told Fox Sports. "Our car was really fast. I was taking every run, I'm sure I owe people apologies."

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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