On the heels of an impressive showing in his first race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar and Niece Motorsports announced on Wednesday Afternoon that the 17-year-old would return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full-time in 2021.
To date, Hocevar has made a total of seven NASCAR Truck Series starts, including five with Niece Motorsports in 2020, earning a career-best 12th-place finish at Dover in August.
“I’m so excited to get the opportunity to race fulltime next year with the Niece Motorsports group,” said Hocevar. “We’ve had some really strong runs in the few starts that we’ve had this season and I am grateful for the chance to continue that next year. I’ve learned so much already this year and know that we will keep improving next year too.”
Hocevar has piloted the No. 40 at Daytona’s Road Course, World Wide Technology Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway and Richmond Raceway, and will return to the seat at Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway later in the season.
“Carson has really impressed us this season,” said team owner Al Niece. “He’s proven his talent – getting into the truck with no track time and really holding his own. We’re thrilled to have him with us fulltime next season and look forward to contending for wins together.”
Hocevar – who turns 18 on January 28th — is the first confirmed competitor for Rookie of The Year honors.
“As an organization we’ve been really impressed with Carson’s ability to race at these tracks that he hasn’t seen before, with no track time before the race,” said general manager Cody Efaw. “He’s a great racer and continues to learn and improve every time he gets behind the wheel. We have no doubt that Carson will be in contention for wins next year.”
Hocevar’s truck number, along with sponsors and other minor details will be announced at a later date.