2 weeks Ago By Samuel Stubbs, Yardbarker
Carson Hocevar continued his solid NASCAR Cup Series rookie season on Sunday, finishing ninth in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was another impressive drive in a season full of them for the 21-year-old from Portage, Michigan, who collected his sixth top-10 finish of the season on Sunday. we’re here.
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com/JPBKDPtBC7 Hocevar drove himself up into the top five from a 15th-place starting spot in Stage 1, also earning stage points in Stage 2. While he faded slightly in Stage 3, Hocevar drove himself back into the top 10 late, bringing home a ninth-place finish that impressed everyone, including NBC commentator Leigh Diffey, who heaped praise onto the young driver. Hocevar's ninth-place finish is his sixth top-20 finish in the last eight races and has continued his strong run over the second half of the season.
In the last 16 races, Hocevar has an average finish of 16.1 and has continued to carry the banner for Spire Motorsports. Hocevar's performance was especially noticeable on a day when his two teammates wilted in the Florida sun.
Zane Smith ran inside the top 10 early, but faded to a 30th-place finish, while Justin Haley spun twice - including on lap one - and finished 34th. Hocevar now leads fellow rookie Josh Berry — who finished 11th on Sunday — by 110 points and six positions in the standings. Barring a win or near max-points day for Berry combined with a disastrous day for Hocevar, the latter should clinch the Cup Series Rookie of The Year award next weekend at Martinsville, leaving him with nothing to stress about when the circuit goes to Phoenix for the season finale on Nov.
10. Hocevar's strong run at one of the toughest venues on the schedule continues to prove that the young driver is one of the best rookies in recent history..
