NASCAR Rookie of the Year Carson Hocevar ‘almost’ wins the race as an erupting crash destroys his odds

While NASCAR drivers enjoy their time away from the track, Carson Hocevar is spending his off-season behind the wheel in the virtual world. On his social media handle, he shared a clip of him almost winning after avoiding a last-lap multi-truck crash.

Hocevar ended the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season as the Rookie of the Year. The 21-year-old racer will return to Spire Motorsports next year driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro alongside teammates Michael McDowell and Justin Haley.

The driver took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted a 17-second clip from his stock pickup truck race on iRacing, held virtually at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"Almost just won this race after taking the white @iracing," Hocevar wrote.

Carson Hocevar was running behind the pack during the race when it crashed at the start/finish line under the white flag. While Hocevar avoided the multi-truck crash, one of his competitors got ahead of him from the inside.

The Michigan native didn't provide a lot of details about the race that could explain whether he was on the lead lap or way behind the leader. The driver shared that he almost won the virtual race, assumably finishing second.

On the track, Hocevar ranked 21st in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series standings, amassing one top-5 finish at Watkins Glen and six top-10 finishes. He earned the ROTY award over the two other full-time rookies, Josh Berry and now ex-teammate Zane Smith.

Carson Hocevar is the 2024 Rookie of the Year in the premier series - Source: Imagn

Meanwhile, Jesse Love and Layne Riggs won the award in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series, respectively.

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NASCAR insider raises questions on Carson Hocevar cryptic Hendrick Motorsports-related posts

Last week, Carson Hocevar posted photos of his No. 77 Chevy alongside Hendrick Motorsports cars. This caught NASCAR insider Taylor Kitchen's attention, suggesting the driver could be hinting at "something deeper."

Per Kitchen's X account, she wrote:

"The most recent posts on Hocevar’s account feature his No. 77 racing alongside the Hendrick Motorsports cars."

"Not sure whether this is meant to stir the pot, hint at something deeper, or simply a nostalgic look back on this season."

Looking at the post, Hocevar shared photos of his car alongside the No. 5 HMS car of Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott's No. 9 car, and Alex Bowman's No. 48. This means the No. 24 car of William Byron was left out.

Whether the snub was intentional or not, Hocevar did not shed light on the matter.

All we know is that Chevrolet is a partner of Spire Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, with the former team receiving technical support from the latter.

Carson Hocevar drives the No. 77 Chevy in the premier series - Source: Imagn

All four HMS drivers are signed through at least next year so no driver changes are expected. Hocevar is also signed with Spire Motorsports and will return as a sophomore Cup Series driver at the Daytona 500 in February next year.