“This is number one”: Carson Hocevar sets sight on achieving special feat at Michigan

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar has set his sights on achieving a special feat in this weekend's race at Brooklyn, Michigan. Born in Portage, Michigan, Hocevar is aiming to become the first Michigan native to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Hocevar has been in contention for his first Cup Series victory over the past two weekends. An engine failure took him out of the running at the Coca-Cola 600, but the #77 Spire Motorsports Chevy driver bounced back with a career-best second-place finish at Nashville.

Ahead of this weekend's race, Carson Hocevar said that winning at Michigan International Speedway is at the top of his bucket list. A victory at the two-mile oval would mean the world to the 22-year-old, who said he couldn't even put into words how much it would mean to him.

"This is number one or would be number one if we can win here. Just being able to win one of these would be super, super cool and mean a lot. You know, somebody asked me earlier how much it would mean. I was like, man, I don’t know how to describe it in words, but I promise you when we win, you’ll see how much it means and hopefully we get a chance to show that." he told Racing America.

After securing a second-place finish at Nashville, Carson Hocevar made headlines for his on-track incident with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The 22-year-old also clinched his third career win in the Money in the Bank 150 at Berlin Raceway ahead of the NASCAR race weekend at Michigan.

Alongside Hocevar, Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones is also aiming to become the first Michigander to win at the two-mile oval. RFK Racing co-owner/driver Brad Keselowski is another Michigan native who is looking to win his way into the playoffs after a disastrous start to the season.

Hocevar lines up 14th for the FireKeepers Casino 400, followed by Jones in 22nd and Keselowski in 27th position. The 200-lap race is scheduled for this Sunday, June 8, at 2:00 PM ET.

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Carson Hocevar embraces the spotlight after Nashville incident

Carson Hocevar was involved in an incident with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville, resulting in a DNF for the Hyak Motorsports driver. Hocevar's post-race comments drew mixed reactions, keeping him in the spotlight throughout the week, before he eventually had a "productive" conversation with Stenhouse Jr.

The NASCAR industry has been debating the Hocevar-Stenhouse Jr. incident, though veteran drivers have also praised the 22-year-old for his raw speed. The #77 Spire Motorsports driver said he relishes the spotlight, something he has dreamed of his entire life.

"It's cool to just be talked about. Obviously, you want to be talked about maybe in a different light, but at least they're talking. ...Ultimately, it's fun to be in the news. It's what I've dreamt of my whole life, being a topic of conversation," via Jeff Gluck on X.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. admitted that Carson Hocevar didn't wreck him intentionally but described the 22-year-old as "super impatient." Stenhouse Jr. appears to have moved on from the incident, staying focused on accumulating points to secure a playoff spot.