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As reported by Jordan Bianchi, on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, if Ty Dillon leaves the Spire Motorsports 77 car at the end of the season, then Hocevar is reportedly the favorite to land that ride. Bianchi also reported through The Athletic back in the beginning of August that Hocevar was on the radar of many Cup Series teams. Would the 77 Spire Motorsports car make sense for Hocevar?
Carson Hocevar is one of the most intriguing prospects in NASCAR. He has impressed this season in the Craftsman Truck Series, and he ran well in the one Cup Series start he had with Spire as he filled in for Corey LaJoie.
Spire is an up-and-coming race team, and they already have a veteran in LaJoie signed on long term. What they could do now is a young driver to build a team around.
With LaJoie already the number one driver on the team, Hocevar will not have immense pressure on him to win week-in and week-out. Hocevar will also not have the pressure that driving for a big team inherently has.
Hocevar has proven in Spire equipment that he can run well, and that may be enough. On top of that, Ty Dillon sits 32nd in points, which is the lowest of any full-time driver. This second team needs a shot in the arm, and a switch in drivers could be the very thing this team needs.
A team that needs a shot in the arm and an exciting new prospect seems like a match made in heaven to some extent. However, there is some risk attached.
Carson Hocevar is a very raw prospect, and he has found himself at the center of controversy many times. Now, he has stayed out of controversy in recent months, so, that shows evidence of maturing. However, he is still only 20 years old, and he is in the midst of his third full-time Truck Series season.
This is the first year he has won races, so he took a while to develop. If he is one of those drivers who tends to be a bit of a late bloomer, then Spire may need to be ready to be patient with Hocevar. To expect him to win races and make the Playoffs right out of the gate is unrealistic.
That is the thing with Hocevar, he is raw. Even with three years of Truck Series experience, he still has limited Xfinity Series starts. Drivers making the jump straight from Trucks to Xfinity has worked before, but would it work for Hocevar?
It would not be a plug-in with immediate results for Hocevar in all likelihood. He will need to take time to develop, but his talent does show through. The question becomes, will he keep his head on straight when struggles come?
The issue right now is what to do with Ty Dillon. Dillon has been awful this season, and that is no secret. Dillon in general has never found his true footing in the Cup Series with no points finishes better than 24th in his career, but this is statistically his worst season.
His average finish is 28.4 which is far lower than his career average finish of 22.9, and his average start is 32.2 which is below his career average of 26.9. While this does not completely excuse Dillon for the lack of performance, it does show that the team is struggling. Is it fair to pin everything the team is struggling with on Dillon?
It is fair to pin a large part of the blame on it, but, how much would moving to a rookie make that team work? Dillon has not been good, and Spire moving on from him is understandable. However, Hocevar is far from a magic wand, and it will take time for them to find their footing.
Hocevar to Spire is something that fans are a bit split on, and understandably so. It could be great for both sides, but there will be some undoubtable growing pains. Would it work?
