Carson Hocevar closes in on NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year crown

With three races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series season, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award is yet to be won, but Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hochevar is quickly focusing on that distinction.

Heading into Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hocevar holds a comfortable 99-point lead over Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry.137 points more than teammate Zane Smith and 430 points more than part-time Rick Ware Racing driver Kaz Grahl for Rookie of the Year.

If the 21-year-old driver can come out of Sunday’s race at Homestead with a 118-point lead over second place or more, he will secure the honors for the two remaining races. Although Hochevar has never competed in a NASCAR Cup Series event at the 1.5-mile South Florida track, he earned a win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series a season ago, earning him a spot in the Truck Series Championship 4.

The young driver is looking forward to seeing how his skills at Homestead in a truck translate to a NASCAR Cup Series car.

“I’m excited to be back at Homestead,” Hocevar said in the team’s weekly update. “I ran really well in Miami trucks and overall it’s a fun track. I didn’t get to race there in the Cup Series last year, but (I) was able to watch and learn a thing or two. Winning a race on the track helps build confidence. (Crew Chief) Luke (Lambert) and everyone at Spire loves this race track, and Luke even won an Xfinity race a couple years ago with Noah (Gregson). So yes. We’re very excited.”

If not A 25-point penalty was imposed on Khochevar Earlier this year, because Hocevar spun Harrison Burton in the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway due to a caution, he will enter this weekend’s race above the magic number.

But given the way the Michigan native has performed as of late, it seems a foregone conclusion that he’ll likely finish out this weekend’s awards show at Homestead. But if the award somehow moves to Martinsville Speedway or Phoenix Speedway, it would take a catastrophic collapse for Hocevar to relinquish the NASCAR Cup Series rookie points lead.

It was something of a surprise end result in the Rookie of the Year battle between Hocevar and Berry. But Hocevar ultimately took over the final 10 NASCAR Cup Series races.

During that time, Hochevar had two top-10 finishes, including his season-best third-place finish, which he came at the Watkins Glen International, and a total of five top-15 finishes. Hocevar, who drives the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, has 204 points over the last 10 races. Berry, on the other hand, has not finished in the top 20 in his last 10 starts, and his subpar performances have included four costly DNFs. Berry has scored just 107 points over the last 10 races.

97 points of Hochevar’s current 99-point lead over Berry have come over the last 10 NASCAR Cup Series events.

If Hocevar officially secures the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award, a 10-race stretch from Michigan International Speedway to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the late summer/fall of 2024 will be an important part of the award process.