Carson Hocevar named NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Rookie of the Year
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Carson Hocevar, driver of Spire Motorsports' No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, has been named the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
The Portage, Mich., native earned the honors on the strength of one top-five, six top-10 and 13 top-15 finishes. In his first full-season at the controls of the No. 77 Chevrolet, Hocevar brought home a career best third-place finish in the Cup Series September visit to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
Hocevar impressed throughout his rookie campaign, accumulating 686 points and being the top finishing rookie in 15 races on NASCAR's senior circuit. He out-distanced his next closest competitor by a handsome 107-point advantage when the checkered flag fell on Sunday's season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
"Being named Sunoco Rookie of the Year is special," said Hocevar. "I got beat out for Rookie of the Year in the CRAFTSMAN Truck series, and I didn't run in the Xfinity Series full time so to win the award in the NASCAR Cup Series is a huge accomplishment for our whole team. It definitely didn't come easy. Josh (Berry) has won a bunch of Xfinity races, and the No. 4 team won tons of races and a championship with Rodney (Childers) and (Kevin) Harvick. We also had Zane (Smith) in contention, who raced for Spire Motorsports and has won several Truck Series races and a championship. It was a good group of accomplished drivers vying for it, and it means a lot to come out on top. We ran really strong at the end of the year and were able to pull away in terms of points. These last several weeks show our capabilities as a team.
"This award will be something that will live with me my whole career, and I'm proud to be known as the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year. There's an elite list of guys who have won it, and many of them went on to win races and championships. The award is something you only have one shot at. You can never go back and try to win Rookie or the Year later down the line. It is the only thing like that in racing. It is cool to win something so significant this year, and the mission is now to get the No. 77 car to Victory Lane and in the playoffs in 2025.
The 21-year-old made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports on June 4, 2020 at World Wide Technology Raceway. In addition to his NCS debut, Hocevar made four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Spire Motorsports in 2023, with a pair of top-10 finishes coming in May at Darlington Raceway (sixth) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth).
Hocevar signed a multi-year contract with Spire Motorsports to drive the team's No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series in October 2023.
Hocevar was first paired with veteran crew chief Luke Lambert last season when he competed behind the wheel of the No. 42 machine in eight of the divisions final 10 races. He scored a then career-best 11th- place finish at the 2023 Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Lambert followed Hocevar to Spire Motorsports where he was chosen to lead the team's No. 77 efforts for the 2024 season.
"I am incredibly proud of the effort Carson (Hocevar) and the No. 77 team have put into the 2024 season," said Lambert. "Carson is a tremendous talent and that, combined with his effort and dedication, has led to solid performance on track, and continuous improvement throughout the season. I am honored to be a part of Spire Motorsports as we continue to progress as a NASCAR Cup Series team. Carson and the No. 77 team are committed to constant improvement and look forward to building on this rookie season in 2025.
Hocevar made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) debut on August 1, 2019 at Eldora Speedway and collected four wins, one pole, 21 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes over his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career. He finished 10th in points in 2021 and 2022 and earned a berth in the 2023 Championship 4, where he ultimately finished third in the season-ending championship point standings.
"It has been an exciting season watching Carson, Luke and the whole No. 77 team grow together," said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. "Carson's finishes have improved throughout the year and the team has been running competitively during the playoffs, racing door-to-door with the playoff contenders on a regular basis. We are proud of Carson and the No. 77 team for winning the NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and I'm looking forward to seeing them continue to raise the bar next year."
Hocevar's accomplishment marks the first time a Chevrolet-backed driver has achieved the title since Daniel Hemric in 2019. He is the third Michigan-born driver to earn the honor, following in the footsteps of Erik Jones (2017) and Johnny Benson (1996.)
