Herm & Schrader Podcast

Episode: Carson Hocevar – Why My On-Track Style Is Stronger Than A Hurricane
Date: March 5, 2026
Podcast by: SiriusXM, Dirty Mo Media
Hosts: Kenny Wallace & Ken Schrader
Guest: Carson Hocevar

Episode Overview

This riotous, revealing episode of Herm & Schrader features rising NASCAR Cup star Carson Hocevar. Kenny Wallace leads a lively conversation that touches on Hocevar’s dirt racing roots, family background, key career moments, comparisons to legendary racers, and the mythos building around his aggressive on-track reputation. The tone is deeply personal, often hilarious, and always honest—true to the podcast’s legacy of no-holds-barred racing talk.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Dirt Racing Roots & Early Influences

[02:35 – 10:00]

• Shared Dirt Racing Passion

  • Kenny and Carson bond over their mutual love for dirt racing, reminiscing about running the Dome and Chili Bowl.
  • Carson admits to "FOMO not racing" but draws excitement from just being involved.

• Relationship with Jeff Dickerson

  • Dickerson’s history as a midget racer and his habit of running “wide open in the slick” becomes a repeated joke.
  • Carson shares the story of recreating Dickerson’s old diecast for laughs and as a tribute.

• Lessons and Mentorship

  • Carson’s first dirt late model run at Eldora involved trial by fire—zero testing, hand-me-down equipment, and “three seconds off in hot laps.”
  • He recounts advice from old hands like Mike Marler and Jonathan Davenport on throttle control—a theme about learning to rein in his wide-open style:

    "If you ran about half the throttle you did, you might actually be decent at this." — Jonathan Davenport to Carson (08:00)

2. Family Background and Childhood

[10:04 – 15:00]

• Growing Up in Portage, Michigan

  • Carson reflects on watching races with his mom and makeshift “racing" with his dad around the family’s small coin and jewelry shop.
  • The family scrapped to afford his quarter-midget racing, with his dad working constantly to buy tires, and his mom driving him around the country:

    "I think the only reason my dad worked so hard was to afford the tires or afford racing… not everybody's parents would ever even consider…"
    — Carson Hocevar (12:35)

• Brian Claussen Connection

  • Carson sets the record straight on his dad’s connection with the late, great Brian Claussen: his dad was more a supporter than a racer, but being around Claussen, Tim, and others in USAC quarter-midgets deeply inspired young Carson.

3. Choosing the NASCAR Path

[15:13 – 20:56]

• Carson faced a crossroads between going the dirt route or focusing on pavement NASCAR; guidance from mentors like Johnny Benson steered him toward asphalt.
• He reflects on why, despite the romance of dirt, all serious racers inevitably dream of NASCAR:

  "Everybody wants to be NASCAR… we love dirt, but it just cannot get to where asphalt is."
  — Kenny Wallace (19:00)

4. Comparisons to Racing Legends & Aggressive Style

[21:24 – 25:54]

• Not the Next Dale Earnhardt Sr.—But Ayrton Senna?

  • Wallace challenges media comparisons, suggesting instead Carson is “Ayrton Senna with a stock car.”
  • Carson admits influence from diverse driver documentaries and F1 legends, but insists he isn’t "out there trying to be anyone else":

    "I'm just racing. I'm just driving. I'm just me."
    — Carson Hocevar (24:14)

• Responsibility to the Team

  • Hocevar emphasizes that his driving is about fighting for his team, not about chasing a persona.
  • The “Hurricane” nickname (pushed by Mike Joy) and comparisons to Earnhardt and Senna spark jokes—and real discussion about racing attitude.

5. Modern NASCAR: Stage Points, Aggression, and Spire Performance

[25:54 – 39:15]

• Stage Racing Philosophy

  • Carson details how stage points incentivize aggression and keep the field tight, noting he’s 4th in points after bagging early stage bonuses despite tough finishes.

• Delivering for Spire Motorsports

  • Wallace celebrates Hocevar’s ascent and jokes with him over social media memes and physical attributes (“nobody will fight Carson, he’s 6’4”).

  • Carson notes how being talked about at this level is “pretty surreal,” and credits Spire’s evolution from a “little team buying tires” to true contenders.

  • Key quote:

    "If you make a decision up front, they'll talk about you… even if you make the wrong one."
    — Carson Hocevar (36:08)

6. Breakthrough Moments – The Gateway Cup Car Debut

[39:15 – 47:22]

• Filling in for Spire at St. Louis

  • Hocevar shares the behind-the-scenes story of landing in the #7 Cup car at Gateway in 2023 (due to Corey LaJoie’s fill-in for Chase Elliott), fueled by his success in Trackhouse sim work.
  • He told his crew chief to change the car based on his sim feel, got instant pace, and became “the show” by passing veteran Cup drivers.
  • The “light bulb” moment:

    “I was like, I am not gonna be nervous, I'm not gonna be anxious, I'm going to enjoy this. I might never get this again… and I just drove it as hard as physically possible.”
    — Carson Hocevar (44:02)

• Resulting in further Cup drives, including runs for the 42 team and working with top crew chiefs.

• Dickerson’s faith in Hocevar:

  "During the race under green, [Jeff] just kept sending the pen emoji…Sign him, sign him, sign him."
  — (46:35)

• Long-Term Spire Commitment

  • Carson clarifies rumors about moving to Hendrick:

    "I signed a very long term paper at Spire… I am there for the next decade."
    — Carson Hocevar (47:55)

7. Navigating the ‘Pay-to-Play’ World and Seizing Opportunity

[50:34 – 59:12]

• Rising Without Money

  • Hocevar walks listeners through his transition from sponsor-supported late models (helped by Johnny Benson’s connections) to a full-time Niece Motorsports Truck ride—not as a “rich kid buy-in,” but by showing up, working at the shop, and outperforming expectations.

    “Every time a door closed, the next one opened… First impressions are everything in racing.”
    — Carson Hocevar (53:00)

• The Value of Being Ready

  • Recounts his second truck race at Dover—no practice, no radio communications, just hustle and instinct.

    “I did a green flag stop by myself. I just guessed when we were supposed to pit—I was within one lap.”
    — Carson Hocevar (56:00)

8. Truck Series Economics & Recent Racing Stories

[58:05 – 63:49]

• Racing Economics

  • Discussion about the financial losses in truck racing, and the passionate motivations of team owners like Al Niece.
  • Hocevar explains why, for many, it's about a love of racing—not profit.

• Atlanta Truck Race with Kyle Busch

  • The odd confluence of entities on his Atlanta truck (Spire-owned, Hendrick-sponsored, Busch-driven).
  • Wallace goads him about a post-race interview: “Were you being a smart-ass, or sincere?”
  • Hocevar grins, splitting the difference. On being a junior fan:

    “I didn’t love watching Kyle Busch win truck races, but with Jeff Dickerson owning it, it ain't that bad.”
    — Carson Hocevar (63:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On relentless wide-open style:

  “If you ran about half the throttle you did, you might actually be decent at this.”
  — Jonathan Davenport to Carson Hocevar (08:00)

• On breaking into Cup:

  “I have this idea that I was going to be really, really fast in a cup car… I think I know it, I understand it.”
  — Carson Hocevar (41:15)

• On making difficult career decisions:

  "I had to choose between the dirt route with Tim and Brian… and I was like, well, I'd love to go NASCAR. So Johnny said, 'Do both.'" — Carson Hocevar (16:18)

• On soaring expectations:

  "You are there, my friend. And they are talking about you… Earnhardt, Senna, Tim Richmond, Kyle Busch."
  — Kenny Wallace (64:44)

• On taking scrutiny as a compliment:

  "It's just reassuring that we're fast enough… If you make a decision up front, they'll talk about you, right?"
  — Carson Hocevar (35:55)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:35–10:00 – Early dirt racing memories & lessons
• 10:04–15:00 – Family, childhood, and support
• 15:13–20:56 – Claussen, Johnny Benson, NASCAR vs. dirt pathways
• 21:24–25:54 – Driver comparisons: Senna, Earnhardt, identity in racing
• 25:54–39:15 – Stage racing, Spire team rise, handling media & pressure
• 39:15–47:22 – Gateway Cup debut, career breakthrough
• 50:34–56:09 – Climbing the ranks, performances that turned heads
• 60:01–63:49 – Team relationships, Kyle Busch Atlanta truck race story
• 64:44–65:31 – Kenny Wallace championing Hocevar’s rising mythos

Tone & Takeaways

True to the “Herm & Schrader” ethos, this episode is brash, generous with its laughter, and fiercely focused on the sport. Carson Hocevar comes off as humble, self-aware, and unafraid of hard truths—both about racing’s challenges and its joys.
The hosts and guest revel in the work ethic, luck, and pure racing drive it takes to succeed. If you want to know why the NASCAR world is buzzing about Hocevar—and get all the backstage color, advice, and dirt that makes this podcast special—this episode delivers.

Listen if you want to understand:

• How a modern NASCAR Cup driver emerges—by talent, not by dollars alone.
• The crossroads between dirt and pavement, and why racing’s legends all faced it.
• What it feels like to become the story in a sport built on mythmaking.