CONCORD, N.C.: Carson Hocevar continues to impress in his rookie NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.
After delivering solid finishes over the last month in his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, Hocevar survived a wreck-filled North Carolina Education Lottery 200 to contend for his first career Truck Series victory.
A restart inside the final 10 laps of the race offered the opportunity for Hocevar to pull off an upset victory over John Hunter Nemechek and dethrone Kyle Busch Motorsports, but a veteran-like jump by Nemechek allowed him to escape with the lead in the closing laps.
Hocevar made gains in the closing laps but came up 0.419 seconds short at the checkered flag.
Immediately after taking the checkered flag, Hocevar apologized to his race team for giving up the victory in his 19th career Truck Series start.
When asked what he would have changed at the end of the race, Hocevar was quick to respond, “Find the bottom in (Turns) three and four better, got the restart better, I’ve never been in that position too many times, I just let it slip away,” he said.
“I finally caught him the last few laps, but it was one or two too late. I don’t know if I could have cleared him, but I could have put up a fight.”
Frustrated with his mistakes, Hocevar was still tying to find the silver lining.
“Second is bittersweet. You’re the first loser, but you also run second. It’s a good points day. It’s a good thing that Al Niece and this organization, Niece Motorsports needed, Phil (Gould), Cody (Efaw), everybody. We’re chippin away at it.”
Friday night’s performance keeps the 18-year-old native inside the cutoff for the Truck Series playoffs, recording his third top-five of the season and fourth top-10 in 2021.
Charlotte marked three straight top-10 finishes for the Portage, Mich. native and his third straight race working with new crew chief Phil Gould.
The new pairing seems to be paying off ahead of the summer stretch.
The Truck Series is off next weekend, but will return for a doubleheader event with the NASCAR Xfinity Series on June 12 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Hocevar will make his Truck Series debut at the 1.5-mile Fort Worth, Tex. race track.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
