Carson Hocevar is NASCAR's newest rising star, and on Wednesday, he took the spotlight at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a welcomed guest to the Fox broadcast booth. Despite not running the Indy 500, NASCAR had its star in person at IMS to watch Indy 500 Practice 2. Amid an array of topics discussed on air, Hocevar highlighted his appearance and his desire to run the Indy 500 one day.
Carson Hocevar's IMS Takeaways
Carson Hocevar after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Race at Talladega. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Townsend Bell of Fox asked Hocevar what it's like to be in the garages and see how things work. Hocevar responded, "It's totally different…. they talk differently. They say 'oversteer' and 'understeer' and 'paddock' instead of 'garage'…" Though both IndyCar and NASCAR are motorsports, they are vastly different: IndyCar is open-wheel racing, and NASCAR is stock car racing.
Hocevar further explains how cool it is to be on scene at Indy 500 practice. "We obviously have a close relationship with TWG and Andretti… so I get to see those nuances and everything." Hocevar's team, Spire Motorsports, is owned by TWG Motorsports, which also owns Andretti Global. The Andretti team features a trio of IndyCar stars: Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood, and Marcus Ericsson.
On the Dale JR Download, where Hocevar was recently on as a guest, he was asked if he could race any race, which one would it be? Hocevar stated that it would be the Indy 500. James Hinchcliffe sent this question back at Hocevar, asking, "Why is that?"
Hocevar explained how he gets to cosplay the Indy 500 when the Cup Series races the Brickyard 400. "I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's the history… but it's my favorite track to watch races." Hocevar relishes the legend that is Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "It's the story of it. It's never the fastest car that dominates the race." He explains how the whole month of May is preparation and then, "you get halfway through the race, and it's all out the window."
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has such a unique, square-oval layout. Drafting is a huge factor down the straightaways, and dirty air manipulation of the trailing driver is less prevalent in either series. Passing is easier at IMS as compared to other tracks, and the takeaway is that Hocevar loves it for that reason, as we fans do for the same.
Hocevar joked about how he might be too tall to race in an IndyCar at 6'4". Yet, when asked if he would try ever to race 'The Double,' he emphasized that, "I wouldn't say no."
Carson Hocevar Shows Off Hand Scar from Talladega Celebration
The crew was very intrigued about Hocevar's legendary celebration after his Talladega victory back in April. That is a celebration where Hocevar, in all his length, drove his car down the front straightaway while sitting in the window. Hocevar showed off that, as a result, he did cut his hand open, thus wearing a scar. The injury was minor enough that it never affected his racing in the two races since.
"In victory lane, I grabbed my boss, and he was wearing a white shirt, and I was pumped up, and I was like, 'damn, what did you do to your arm?'" He stated that it was more awesome than dangerous to have the cut, as now, with the scar on his hand, he has an awesome story to tell. "It's way better than a tattoo; my mom doesn't kill me with a scar, she kills me with a tattoo," Hocevar joked.
NASCAR at the Met Gala
Later in the vast 10-minute interview, Hocevar turned to another topic related to his recent stardom: the Met Gala. Hocevar was at the Met Gala days after his Talladega victory. What is most interesting is that Hocevar confirmed that the Met Gala reached out to NASCAR to get him in the building. The yearly event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is among the most exclusive, celebrity-ridden events. For Hocevar to have been invited so young into his career was surreal.
"They must have seen the race suit and thought I was very fashionable, because obviously the whole Chili's getup and everything, and they're just like, 'perfect, get this guy signed up.'"
There is no doubt that Hocevar has an outgoing personality. He has a very long way to go before he can even contest the Most Popular Driver Award. However, the 23-year-old is clearly doing his best to get his name elevated among NASCAR's bigger names for years to come.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
