'We genuinely believed it,' Carson Hocevar happy to embrace the disruptor role after 2026 schedule expansion

Spire Motorsports rising star Carson Hocevar is adding a completely different challenge to his 2026 racing calendar. He has committed to a full season in the FloRacing Night in America Dirt Late Model championship alongside his NASCAR Cup Series duties.

The move highlights the 23-year-old’s commitment to returning to his grassroots racing foundation while riding the massive momentum of his recent maiden Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

Navigating a vastly different racing discipline allows the Michigan native to sharpen his racecraft against seasoned dirt veterans during midweek events, all without compromising his primary focus on Sundays in the Cup Series.

According to the schedule expansion, the young driver will pilot a Spire-backed Super Late Model across the 11-race midweek championship. The FloRacing series is specifically designed to avoid scheduling conflicts with the World of Outlaws and the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series, making it the perfect battleground for a crossover athlete looking to test his limits.

1. A Return to Grassroots Racing

Hocevar is no stranger to the spotlight. From going viral with his iconic celebration following the Talladega triumph to recently rubbing shoulders with celebrities at the Met Gala in New York, his profile has never been higher. Yet, for a driver known for his relentless pursuit of speed, the allure of the local dirt track remains impossible to ignore. The FloRacing Night in America schedule will take Hocevar across six states from May through November. For a driver whose background is rooted in pavement Late Models, the transition to dirt is an intentional exercise in versatility. He has previously moonlighted in Dirt Late Models, making his debut at The Dream at Eldora in 2022 and making appearances at the Charlotte World Finals and the Gateway Dirt Nationals, where he secured a top-10 finish over the winter. Speaking to FloSports about the upcoming campaign, Hocevar expressed a deep appreciation for the grueling nature of the midweek series. “Excited to get going, to get three nights especially when we get rolling here and racing, it’s gonna be nice for me to get in the swing of a Dirt car and that world and everything and get to really enjoy that schedule,” he said. “Start Hot Laps into a Feature late night and get rolling again to a completely different racetrack the next night and the night after. Just enjoy it, and to get to do it with Flo is a lot of fun.”

2. The Disruptor Mentality

Managing a full NASCAR Cup Series schedule while tackling a demanding dirt calendar requires a specific type of mental fortitude. Hocevar has quickly built a reputation in the garage as a fearless competitor who refuses to back down from established veterans. During a recent appearance on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast, he opened up to NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick about embracing his role as a disruptor on the track. “I’ve been a fan of the sport ever since I was a kid. I kind of knew what race car driver I wanted to be,” Hocevar explained. “I kind of saw flaws in the game like ’everybody’s just letting it go. I’m going to be the guy who’s gonna pass them all. This could be way easier at the front.’ But I just could not feel guilty enough, per se, because like everyone should be trying to win.”

3. Managing Expectations on the Dirt

Despite his soaring confidence on the pavement, Hocevar remains a realist regarding his immediate prospects in the FloRacing Night in America championship. The series is packed with specialists who have spent their entire lives perfecting the nuances of dirt-track racing. “I don’t imagine we’re gonna be a contender or anything, we’re just getting rolling with it and getting started, but it will be nice to see where we stack up between all the nights,” he admitted. “You can get lost on if we have a really good night or a really struggle night. To really compare against the good guys in the points, where we stack up. It’s just a totally different universe we’re restocking in.” For a driver who grew up consuming every minute of racing broadcast on television, having access to these grassroots events is a full-circle moment. “It’s great, I enjoyed watching a lot of racing I never got to watch as a kid unless it was on Speed Channel,” he added. “So now that it has access to Flo and everything, it’s one tap away from every track in the country, almost.” Hocevar will not have to wait long to jump into the fire. The FloRacing Night in America season officially kicks off with a grueling three-race stretch, starting Tuesday night under the lights at La Salle Speedway in Illinois. From there, the tour immediately heads to Spoon River Speedway and Lincoln Speedway. It will be a rapid-fire test of endurance and adaptability for the Cup Series standout as he looks to prove his mettle on the dirt while continuing his breakout season on Sundays.

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