Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Kyle Petty gives searing hot take on Carson Hocevar after Charlotte performance

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/26/25brianjones_93
Carson Hocevar (2)
May 24, 2025; Concord, North Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar (77) during qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Kyle Petty had some bold things to say about Carson Hocevar after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In his debut episode of Kiss My Asphalt, Petty said Hocevar is NASCAR’s next big superstar.

“I think we’re seeing the emergence of a new superstar in this sport,” Kyle Petty said. “I go back to Atlanta, everybody was cussing Carson Hocevar at Atlanta. …We heard it from [Ryan] Blaney, we heard it from a number of drivers who have won championships and won races.

“Carson Hocevar is flexing his muscle. Carson Hocevar showed that he can lead, he can run up front and he can race with these guys. He can race competitive and race clean with these guys. If not for a blown engine, we don’t know what could have happened because I think he would have been a factor at the end of the race.”

Kyle Petty says people should ‘pay close attention’ to Carson Hocevar

Petty also talked about how Hocevar and other young drivers like Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick were running up front during NASCAR’s longest race of the year. “We saw a changing of the guard with William Byron,” Petty said. “These guys are all in their late 20s, early 30s running up front.”

Petty then said fans should “pay close attention to people” like Hocevar. “If I’m Spire [Motorsports], I’m signing him to a long, long, long-term deal,” he said. “We know that William Byron just got a new deal, Carson Hocevar deserves a new deal.”

Hocevar ran up front throughout Sunday’s race until his No. 77 car suffered engine issues during the third stage. It was a tough break for the 22-year-old as he finished outside the top 10 in Stage 1, finished fourth in Stage 2 and third in Stage 3. Hocevar was credited with a 34th-place finish.

Hocevar is in his second season as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Through 13 races this year, Hocevear has earned two top-10 finishes, including a second-place finish at Atlanta early in the season. In 2024, Hocevear finished 21st in the standings. He was named NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year after he notched six top-10 finishes.