“I hope that puts away any doubters,” Carson Hocevar #Rackley200
During the day, under the lights or in a cloud of start-finish line smoke, Carson Hocevar topped his rivals in all conditions at Nashville Superspeedway.
Hocevar led the last 40 laps of the 'Rackley Roofing 200' NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, celebrated with a huge burnout in front of the main grandstand as fireworks shot over the backstretch and collected a $50,000 bonus for winning the final race of the Triple Truck Challenge.
“I’m enjoying this [stretch of races] a lot right now,” said Hocevar, who has finished in the top-5 in five straight races and posted the field’s top practice speed on Friday afternoon. “I enjoy it especially because I get to hold a trophy.”
Driving the No. 42 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports, Hocevar captured his second Truck Series race on the season and earned his sixth top-five finish.
Ain’t no win like a Nashville win! Congrats @CarsonHocevar on winning the #Rackley200 and taking home the @gibsonguitar! pic.twitter.com/HK4c1JbonJ
— Nashville Superspeedway (@NashvilleSuperS) June 24, 2023
The 20-year-old Michigan native started seventh and steadily made his way up, finishing fourth after Stage 1 and second after Stage 2.
Hocevar then drove away from the field after a restart on Lap 110, stayed on the track following the race’s final caution on Lap 140 and beat out Zane Smith and pole winner Nick Sanchez to the checkered flag.
“I hope that puts away any doubters,” Hocevar said. “I hope I get to drive this truck for a long time.”
Smith, the defending Truck Series champion, was .271 of a second behind in second, Sanchez placed third after leading 37 laps, Corey Heim was fourth and Bayley Curry finished fifth.
“I was honestly kind of bummed out when the caution came out there, because I knew we struggled all day on restarts,” said Smith, who also finished second in last year’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville. “We were catching [Hocevar] on the long run. I think we were better than him.”
Smith (11 laps led) took Stage 1, while Heim (race-high 57 laps led) won Stage 2 under caution following a three-truck wreck on the backstretch on Lap 92.
Hocevar completed the 150 laps/200 miles in 1 hour, 57 minutes, 16 seconds, averaging 102.0675 mph with 18 trucks finishing on the lead lap. Seven leaders exchanged the lead nine times with seven caution periods taking up 43 laps.
2012 vs 2023
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) June 24, 2023
thankful. pic.twitter.com/4CzmsaqOC9
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