Getty Carson Hocevar will take on a new NASCAR series.
Spire Motorsports is branching out once again during the 2023 NASCAR season. The organization will join forces with Carson Hocevar to take on a limited Xfinity Series schedule.
Spire Motorsports announced the news on March 7 with a press release. The organization said that Hocevar will drive the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro with Premier Security as his primary partner.
Hocevar will make his Xfinity Series debut during the A-Game 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on April 29. He will then return to the entry at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, Nashville Superspeedway on June 24, Michigan International Speedway on August 5, Darlington Raceway on September 2, and Bristol Motor Speedway on September 15.
Cup ✅ Truck ✅ Xfinity…✅! We’ll be fielding six entries in the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series this season, with @CarsonHocevar as the wheelman and Premier Security Solutions as the primary sponsor. Read more: t.co/A2s06ivouz #spiremotorsports #nascar #xfinityseries
“Premier Security Solutions has supported Carson since his days racing short tracks in the Midwest,” said Premier Security Solutions CEO Dave Forystek.
“We continued to support him when he moved up the ladder to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and we are looking forward to seeing him compete at the next level. We are so proud to partner with Spire Motorsports and Chevrolet as Carson makes the leap to the NASCAR Xfinity Series.”
Spire Motorsports Partnered With a Championship Organization
GettyCarson Hocevar prepares for practice at Daytona International Speedway.
Spire Motorsports, which competes part-time in the Craftsman Truck Series and full-time in the Cup Series, does not have Xfinity Series experience. The trip to Dover Motor Speedway will be its first foray into the series.
Spire Motorsports will join forces with a championship-winning organization to make its Xfinity Series debut. The No. 77 team will have technical support from JR Motorsports.
This new endeavor will be led by Kevin “Bono” Manion and Mike Greci. These are the two men in charge of the Craftsman Truck Series program, which features Manion as the crew chief.
“I am eager to make my Xfinity Series debut for Spire Motorsports with support from JR Motorsports,” Hocevar said in a press release. “I am very grateful for their partnership and for Premier Security’s belief in me. Together, they are providing me with a fantastic opportunity to grow as a driver and I intend to make the most of it.”
Manion & Greci Have Built a Truck Series Contender
Hocevar has not won a national series race during his time in the Craftsman Truck Series, but he will face raised expectations when he competes in this limited Xfinity Series schedule.
There are three reasons for this. One, Hocevar has contended for wins in Super Late Model competition. Two, having JR Motorsports provide technical support automatically means that Spire Motorsports will be viewed as a team that could walk away with some top-10 finishes.
Finally, there is the involvement of Manion and Greci. This duo has turned the Spire Motorsports Truck Series program into a contender in a short amount of time. The guest drivers have combined for three top-10 finishes and one top-five. William Byron also won a race at Martinsville Speedway.
These stats don’t tell the full story. Alex Bowman was competitive in both of his starts, but on-track incidents led to one finish outside of the top 20 and one crash.
Additionally, Corey LaJoie qualified fifth overall in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, but he finished 23rd after three separate rain delays. This includes one that ended the race after only 79 of the 100 laps.