The one opinion that has been consistently stacked against Carson Hocevar ever since his days in the Craftsman Truck Series is that he is too aggressive on the race track. He has gained and lost a lot due to this attribute over the past couple of years in the NASCAR Cup Series. But what he isn’t willing to do yet is let go of it and become a more mellow race car driver.
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After a disappointing outing last Sunday that saw him lose the opportunity to win the Daytona 500 on the final lap, Hocevar’s next fight is at the EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. He was asked what it takes to win at Atlanta in a recent interview. He replied in a typical fashion, “You just have to make moves. All offense, no defense.” There is an interesting strategy behind this answer.
After its reconfiguration between 2021 and 2022, the EchoPark Speedway has transitioned towards being more of a drafting-style racetrack akin to Daytona and Talladega. To Hocevar, it is a lot similar to how the pre-2010 surface at Daytona was. Drivers can draft alone without help from anybody and opt not to drive defensively.
He explained, “Every time I get to run Atlanta, it just makes me think about bumpy Daytona, where you can draft by yourself. You don’t need anybody. You can just make moves and time things. It’s basically all offense. It just works for me. If this move didn’t work, I’ll get back in line and make the next one. And if that didn’t work, I’ll make the next one.”
He noted that eventually one of his moves will work and gain him spots. At the end of the day, the track makes him smile because it reminds him of a long-lost NASCAR era.
Has the disappointment at Daytona affected Hocevar?
For a brief moment during the final laps of the Daytona 500, it appeared as though Hocevar might just be the one to lift the Harley J. Earl trophy. He overtook his teammate, Michael McDowell, with two laps remaining on the clock to assume the lead. However, shortly after leading the final lap, he was spun by Legacy MC’s Erik Jones.
He crashed against the outer wall before spinning inwards to the frontstretch’s infield. His chances evaporated, and he carried his No. 77 Camaro home in 18th place. He was asked if he would carry remnants of the disappointment into the upcoming weekend.
He said, “We were leading coming to the white, but obviously, things just didn’t work out. I’m not too disappointed knowing we were where we needed to be, and there isn’t really anything I could have done to prevent the outcome. If anything, I am more confident for Atlanta this weekend.”
That’s as positive a mindset as a driver can have after such a weekend. Whether he reaches Victory Lane or not, Hocevar will have a lot of fun playing to his strengths at Atlanta this coming Sunday.
