“Logano’s on it. And Brad Keselowski, he was on it really hard and heavy a few years ago. Him and I got into a few battles. Hocevar’s probably another one.” That’s how Kyle Busch casually mentioned Carson Hocevar to his “enemy list” just a week ago. And the timing? Well, it couldn’t have been more ironic. Fresh off shutting down Busch’s dominance with a statement win, Hocevar suddenly finds himself cast as the new antagonist. But instead of backing down, the young driver is leaning right into the spotlight, turning the label into fuel for his rising NASCAR story.
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Carson Hocevar ends Kyle Busch’s Texas reign
“We had to reverse order, you know, obviously, the one-two with Kyle. I watched him win a lot of truck races. And you know, it’s finally good to put an end to his Texas streak.” That was Carson Hocevar’s bold declaration after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas (Kyle Busch’s backyard), the SpeedyCash.com 250, just a week after his maiden Cup Series win at Talladega.
The race itself was chaos down the stretch. Gio Ruggiero appeared to have control after a late restart, leading with just two laps to go. But a violent crash involving Jake Garcia, Justin Haley, Conner Jones, and Tanner Gray brought out another caution, forcing overtime and setting up one final shootout. That’s when Carson Hocevar made his move.
Charging the high lane through Turns 3 and 4, he powered past Ruggiero coming to the white flag. On the final lap, Ruggiero got shuffled into the middle three-wide, lost momentum, and slid back through the field (ultimately finishing 14th). Carson Hocevar, meanwhile, never looked back.
What a week for this guy. @CarsonHocevar talks with @JoshRSims after his Truck Series win at Texas. 🤠 x.com/NASCARONFOX/st…
Another win for Carson Hocevar! 🌶️🏁 He gets it done for a @NASCAR_Trucks victory at Texas.
The result? A dominant 1-2 finish for Spire Motorsports, with Kyle Busch crossing the line in second, followed by Kaden Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, and Ben Rhodes. And that’s what makes this win hit differently. When it comes to the Truck Series, Kyle Busch isn’t just another competitor. In fact, he’s the all-time winningest driver in series history, with 68 victories.
Moreover, at Texas alone, Kyle Busch has been nearly untouchable. The Rowdy boasts six wins, with four of them coming in his last four appearances, and multiple podium finishes in limited starts (three runner-ups and one third place). So for Carson Hocevar to beat him here, that too, head-to-head, and in crunch time, feels nothing short of symbolic.
With Hocevar winning, not just here but last week at Talladega, it’s not just about ending Kyle Busch’s streak. It’s about announcing that the next wave of NASCAR drivers isn’t waiting for its turn anymore. And Hocevar is leading it.
Hocevar expands his racing horizon
Fresh off a breakthrough stretch that saw him win at Talladega Superspeedway and follow it up with another statement drive in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar isn’t slowing down. If anything, he’s adding more to his plate. And in a completely different discipline!
Carson Hocevar is now set to dive back into dirt racing, expanding his 2026 schedule with multiple starts in the FloRacing Night in America events. He’ll pilot a Spire Motorsports-backed Late Model, kicking things off at LaSalle Speedway, before heading to Spoon River Speedway and Lincoln Speedway in a packed midweek run.
He first stepped into the dirt Late Model world at World 100 in 2022 at Eldora Speedway, before making his debut in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series later that year at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Since then, he’s steadily built experience, including consistent appearances at the Gateway Dirt Nationals, where he most recently secured a top-10 finish.
Tuesday’s race at LaSalle marks his first official start in FloRacing Night in America, but given his current form, expectations are already rising. More importantly, this move says a lot about how Carson Hocevar views racing. He isn’t boxing himself into one lane.
Whether it’s drafting at 200 mph on superspeedways or wrestling a dirt Late Model on a slick surface, he’s chasing the same thing: seat time, feel, and that raw connection with racing that’s fueled his rise. And right now, he’s riding that momentum everywhere.
