Carson Hocevar reveals he studied Ross Chastain, admits there are 'certain things' he can't change

When it comes to comparisons between Carson Hocevar and other drivers, perhaps the most apt is Ross Chastain. After all, both NASCAR Cup Series talents got their big breaks with the same Truck Series team, Niece Motorsports. The two have been closely linked since Hocevar blew up on the scene.

Both drivers have been pressured to change the way that they race. Carson Hocevar has really taken the mantle from Ross Chastain as the driver to blame when things go wrong on the track. That 2023 season was wild. Chastain was blamed for things he was simply in the vicinity of. Hocevar is getting that a bit now.

While talking to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download this week, Hocevar addressed the Chastain connection. In fact, he’s studied Chastain over the years.

“I studied Ross when I was, because we were at Niece. My first time at Martinsville, I got on the front row, spun me out,” Hocevar said. “First corner. Just backed me right in the fence, got back up to fifth, spun me out again. And I left that race track saying, ‘I will never, I’m not going to be the f***ing guy that gets beat around. Especially when I have Ross in the shop, I’m like, ‘He just annihilates everybody. They never give it back to him. They don’t do anything.'”

If that is the lesson Hocevar took from that, then there is your explanation for many things. Besides, there are positives to the way he drives on the track.

Carson Hocevar isn’t changing any time soon

When it comes to changing, Carson Hocevar isn’t against it. However, there are limits. His style of racing has gotten him to this point in his career. So, there are parts of that he can never change.

“Yeah, I mean, I mean, I’m 22 now, right? I’ve raced for a long time,” Hocevar continued. “I think the biggest thing for me is like I realize that there are certain things you just can’t change.

“You’re instinctly [sic] – you know, when I race, I don’t, s**t, I don’t half the time, know what I’m doing. It’s just autopilot. You know, when I ran Chicago last week, we were qualifying and we qualified third, but we actually should have qualified a tenth off SVG. Actually, the only corner I remember and like thought of just like, I had a thought of how I’m going to approach this corner, I lost four and a half tenths. I completely f***ed it up.”

Carson Hocevar has been the breakout star of the season. He was the 2024 Rookie of the Year. While he hasn’t won a race yet, everyone gets on the edge of their seats whenever he is racing up front. Eventually, his bad breaks will stop, and he will get that first career win. From there, the sky is the limit.