Top Dog: Carson Hocevar
The rise of Carson Hocevar onto the brightest stage of the NASCAR Cup Series has left many perplexed and flabbergasted to describe the aura revolving around his ascension.
Though Hocevar has not won a Cup race yet, that win is inevitably on its way, with the high possibility of many more coming with it. Yet, for a driver with as flamboyant of a personality as Hocevar, a nickname feels fitting, even without the credentials yet.
But what?
Well, in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday (Aug. 3), NBC Sports analyst Leigh Diffey may have found the perfect fit.
Early in the second rendition of the Cup Series at Iowa, Diffey referred to Hocevar as “Hurricane Hocevar” as the sophomore pounced on the competition in the opening laps of a race where he went on to finish eighth.
‘Hurricane’ can perfectly sum up what you get with the budding star, a raw talent who has stirred plenty of conversation both in and out of the garage. Iowa fits that mold as well, as the storm Hocevar both faced and brought was intriguing to follow throughout the event.
A subpar practice session was followed up by an impressive seventh-place qualifying effort, track position that proved vital for the 22-year-old.
Clean air was king once again in Iowa, evidenced by Hocevar staying put in seventh by the end of stage one.
A caution during a green flag stop cycle in stage two flipped the race on its head, stranding Hocevar mid-pack and forcing him to take the wave around. The stage only got tougher, as Hocevar concluded it by spinning after getting turned by John Hunter Nemechek.
The final stage was blanketed by a plethora of cautions, with no opportunity for drivers to get a rhythm. Out of the 12 cautions (which tied the race at Texas Motor Speedway for the most this year), nine occurred in the final 150 laps, with most spurts not even reaching 10 laps under green.
One of those incidents saw Hocevar on the flip side of his earlier spin when he got into Zane Smith on lap 230 and sent the No. 38 Ford into the wall.
Smith didn’t forget the incident, attempting retaliation on the track later on, as well as a post-race visit to Hocevar by Smith’s crew chief, Ryan Bergenty.
With the chaotic part of “Hurricane Hocevar’s” race in the rear view, the reigning Cup Rookie of the Year rebounded into the top 10 through the restarts, reaching the top five on the final run. Drivers with fresher tires were able to pass him in the end, but he held steady to secure his sixth top 10, matching his total from last season.
Whether you get the eye of the storm and a calm Hocevar, or one that leaves some carnage in his path, a hurricane certainly seems to be the correct analogy when referring to his on-track performance.
With only three races remaining in the regular season, the storm is strengthening regarding Hocevar’s confidence, and he shouldn’t be slept on to wreak more havoc by spoiling the playoff picture over the next three weeks.
Notable Underdog Runs
Nemechek’s run-in with Hocevar was the primary moment of adversity the 28-year-old faced en route to a 15th-place finish.
The first two stages were rather quiet and a struggle for the Legacy Motor Club driver, who recorded stage finishes of 29th and 26th while reporting a need for more turn in the corners.
Nemechek pitted after the conclusion of stage two, and with the stop and go brought on by the yellows, Nemechek was able to save enough fuel to make it to the end. That allowed him to get into the top five and be one of the lead drivers on his strategy, but the tire deficit eventually caught up with him on the final run. Ultimately, the result makes it back-to-back top 15s for Nemechek, including three in the past five races.
The LMC drivers were glued together at the finish, as Erik Jones came in right behind Nemechek in 16th. Jones displayed confidence in the speed of his No. 43 Toyota based on practice, transferring that into the race.
Stage one was a slow start for the Byron, Mich., native, who lacked grip en route to a 24th-place stage finish. However, that discomfort was aided in stage two, where Jones roared back to collect stage points in eighth.
Like many other drivers, Jones took his own lumps in the final stage, getting turned by Chase Briscoe off turn 4 while running inside the top 20 on lap 243. Jones’s car spun into the infield grass, incurring some splitter damage as a result that created additional difficulties, including a penalty for too many men over the wall while repairing the car.
However, resilience has been displayed as a part of LMC’s revitalization, and that’s exactly what the No. 43 set out to do after the incident.
The race ended on a 64-lap run, seeing Jones vault himself from 28th to 16th to put a bow on the day. The result was much needed from Jones, who had suffered a four-race stretch outside the top 20 after a hot first half of the summer.
Rounding out the top 20 for the underdogs was AJ Allmendinger, who grabbed an 18th-place finish to wrap up a tumultuous week for Kaulig Racing that saw the team part ways with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams.
Allmendinger backed up a ninth-place qualifying effort by holding there in the first stage to collect two additional points. Unfortunately, he was trapped a lap down as a result of the caution during the stage two green flag pit stops, putting him outside the top 20.
The Los Gatos, Calif., native was not excluded from the chaos in the final stage, nearly getting turned by a spinning Denny Hamlin on lap 221. However, the veteran put on a masterful display to stay off the wall and keep his car clean.
After pitting with just over 100 laps left, Allmendinger worked his way back to 18th, where he floated until the end of the race. While it may not be the result the No. 16 team was looking for, it gives them some positive direction heading to Watkins Glen International, where Allmendinger broke through for his first victory in a fierce battle with Marcos Ambrose in 2014.
With Allmendinger sitting in must-win territory, we could be in for a treat next week as the road course ace goes to battle.
Underdog Power Rankings
1. Nemechek (+1): Strategy may not have played out for Nemechek after reaching the top five, but a 15th-place run was another notch in a string of consistency that the No. 42 has flashed at points this year. Road courses like Watkins Glen International have typically been a struggle for Legacy Motor Club, but Nemechek does have a pair of top 15s on the layout this season, including a sixth in Mexico City.
2. Justin Haley (-1): A 23rd-place finish leaves the weekend mostly empty for Haley, who was impressive in both Saturday sessions and ran in the top 10 late before spiraling downward late. Watkins Glen may not be the prime track for the Winamac, Ind., native to rebound, as he only owns one top 20 in four starts, but he did finish 15th in the most recent road race at Sonoma Raceway.
3. Hocevar (+2): And just like that, Hocevar’s recent plague feels like it has evaporated, as he has established himself as a dark horse to win his way into the playoffs on the heels of back-to-back top 10s. Though Shane van Gisbergen seems automatic on road courses, Hocevar’s time could come at The Glen, where he finished third last year as a rookie.
4. Jones (NR): The recovery from the spin to earn a top 20 shows the speed Jones had in his No. 43 at Iowa, leaving the burning curiosity of what could have been. Instead, he will turn his focus to Watkins Glen, where owns four top 10s in seven starts, though his 10th-place finish there in 2022 serves as his last top 10 on a road course.
5. Allmendinger (NR): Allmendinger broke out of a brief rut to reclaim a top 20 finish in corn country, giving him some forward momentum heading to a track he knows well. The 2014 Watkins Glen winner will likely look to be just as aggressive as he was in that triumph to secure a playoff spot.
Honorable Mentions: van Gisbergen, Cole Custer
Small Team Scheme of the Week
Need some propane? Just give Hank Hill a call.
In one of the most unique collaborations of the season, King of the Hill was featured on Garage 66 and Joey Gase‘s No. 66, which also served as the first Cup start at Iowa for the Cedar Rapids native.
Completed with characters from the show on the back doors and quarter panels, Gase may have finished 37th, but this look had fans and teams talking throughout the weekend.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.