With the old stars slowly phasing out of the sport, NASCAR has been struggling to find similar figures who can connect with fans in the same way. But it looks like that's about to change thanks to Cleetus McFarland and Carson Hocevar.

Speaking about the same on SPEED with Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton, Harvick commented on how minute things like post-race celebrations connect drivers like them to the fans.

He said, “I think you can compare Cleetus and Hocevar; they are showmen. You're there for those fans, you're there to put on a show, and you can either lean into that or you can just be one of the other guys.”

After his win on Sunday, Hocevar gained popularity among the fans after his unconventional post-win celebration. He drove the car sitting on the window and waved at the fans.

Cleetus McFarland also gained popularity among fans after a similar celebration where he stood on the hood of the car after he finished second. Things like these have made the two drivers popular among the fans.

“Cleetus was standing atop one of those cars after he finished second. I mean racing and being able to be successful at it when you haven't grown up around it and being able to accomplish those things. Those are things that people dont get to experience, let alone understand, the amount of time, effort, and money that goes into a situation like this.”

The two young drivers have had a good amount of presence online. This also plays a crucial role in connecting with the fans and making them feel connected to the sport. 

Carson Hocevar reveals how he increased his popularity among fans

As Hocevar celebrated his maiden win at Talladega, the fans cheered for the Spire Motorsports driver. This gave the driver a seal of approval from the popularity among the NASCAR fans. 

While speaking to the media in a post-race interview, Hocevar said, "I'm just me, and maybe people are, a lot of race fans, they probably always dream of racing. So maybe they get to vicariously live through me because I’m online a lot, or I’m in the stands, or anything, but truly I’m just me. I’m not playing any character. I’m not acting for anybody. But I just know how much those race fans mean. It just means a lot.’’

Besides being active on social media, Carson also occasionally streams on various streaming platforms, which also helps in engaging with the fans off the racetrack. At times, Hocevar is seen hanging around the grandstands to try to interact with fans after the race. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason