Long before Carson Hocevar became one of the most talked-about young talents in NASCAR, he was an 11-year-old kid with a massive dream and a father determined to find the right equipment.

His father, Scott, then turned to Johnny Benson Jr., one of the few drivers to win both the Truck Series and the Busch Series (now the O’Reilly Auto Parts series).

Benson went on to shape Hocevar’s path through grassroots racing levels. In a recent conversation with Dale Jr. on the Download podcast, Benson spoke of the youngster's entry into the world of racing, which began with a phone call from Scott.

“I think when he was 11, his dad called, and he said he wanted to buy my house car, and I said, 'I'm not selling you my house car. Why do you want my house car? It doesn't make any sense. I'll build you a new car.'"

From thereon, it was Benson who trained Hocevar, and very early, there were signs of a brilliant racer.

"We went to Hickory to test. I got down to 14.00s. Carson got in it, and he's running 14.50s, 14.60s to start with, and by the end of the two-day test, he's running 14.30s," Benson explained.

However, he noted that there were problems with physical growth spurts, but raw speed was there. They then sought the necessary help and eventually worked out well for Hocevar.

“The second year, he was struggling, but I think it was his growth, because he wasn't very tall then, and all of a sudden, he's like Wham, goes all the way up there, and I think he did struggle through that, and it took a minute to figure that out," Benson said.

Hocevar’s performance in the current season has seen some ups and downs, and he occupies the fifteenth spot on the driver’s standings with 171 points. If his performance in Darlington is anything to go by, he clearly is capable of making people notice him. Viewers don’t compare him to Dale Earnhardt for nothing, after all.

But, is he really fond of that comparison?

Hocevar does not want the Earnhardt comparison

In the days leading up to the weekend at Darlington, the No.77 Spire Motorsports driver got candid and spoke of the comparisons with a young Dale Sr., mentioning that he would rather be known for his own driving style, with a focus on staying as fast and as competitive as possible.

“I don't really love the comparisons of what they have turned into. It started by not apologising after running into people basically, and just being really, really aggressive. Then it turned into 'I am as good as him.' I don't know where that came from," said the driver.

His driving has divided opinions in the NASCAR world, but one thing clear is that he has the talent to reach the next level. With the Cup Series headed to Bristol, it will be exciting to see how he fares on the large track. His best finish in Bristol came last year when he finished seventh, but the goal will be to break into the Top 5 this time around.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Godwin Issac Mathew