Carson Hocevar, who had a promising debut as a full-time NASCAR driver this year, could be on the cusp of a major move. The 2024 Rookie of the Year’s recent mysterious, caption-less social media posts have triggered speculations that he could be joining Hendrick Motorsports, replacing Alex Bowman, who did not exactly set the track ablaze this season.
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Bowman’s NASCAR Cup Series season was a tale of two halves. He managed one win, eight top-5, and 17 top-10 finishes across 36 starts. To be fair, the #46 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver was consistent and fast enough to challenge for the Round of 8. Just that a penalty after his Charlotte Roval appearance hindered his playoffs charge.
Hocevar, on the other hand, announced himself with stellar performances throughout the season. His cryptic posts as soon as dust settled on the season, have triggered conversations around the 21-year-old’s future.
The #77 Spire Motorsports driver recently posted an image of his car racing alongside Bowman’s #48. He did not stop there. Hocevar also shared snapshots of his vehicle in action with Kyle Larson’s #5 Chevy and Chase Elliott’s #9.
While nothing is mentioned or implied in absolute terms, the hints in the photographs have gotten the rumor mill churning. The fans, eager to decode, are speculating of Hocevar’s possible entry into Hendrick Motorsports, the team featured in all his posts. Many, took it to the next level, and demanded it.
One fan commented, “Next ride I hope,” while another enthused, “Carson you would be 3x the driver than Bowman is at Hendrick right now.”
One commenter didn’t mince words while supporting Hocevar and dissing Alex:“Who gives a shit it’s fact that Bowman isn’t that good.”
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) November 16, 2024
However, despite Hocevar’s impressive season, the idea of him replacing Bowman doesn’t quite add up going by what Jeff Gordon had said back in September. The vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, while speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, had indicated that Bowman’s future was secure with the team.
“We have a lot of confidence in [Bowman], and [Blake Harris], and the whole No. 48 team. Nobody wants to see them go deeper into the playoffs or go to Phoenix and compete for a championship more than we do. We believe in those guys,” Gordon had declared.
Hocevar’s strategy that earned him the 2024 Rookie of the Year title
Josh Berry was Hocevar’s closest rival in the race for the 2024 Rookie of the Year honors. In the end, the Spire Motorsports driver triumphed after consistently edging out his three rivals — Berry, Zane Smith, and Kaz Grala.
With an 18th-place finish at Phoenix Raceway during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, Hocevar wrapped up the season in 21st place overall, amassing 686 points. He beat Berry by 107 points.
Over the course of the year, the 21-year-old secured one top-5 finish and ended in the top-10 six times.
Hocevar managed to succeed in the goal he had set for himself at the start of the season. His strategy revolved around finishing all the races within the top 20 consistently, and gradually elevating his performance as the season progressed.
Now the question is whether he is on the verge of taking a major step in his career. Time will reveal if there was indeed any substance to the hints he has provided.
