Carson Hocevar Shrugs off Impact of NASCAR’s New Darlington Aero Package: “It’s Not Huge”
Mar 22, 2026; Darlington, South Carolina, USA; Spire Motorsports Carson Hocevar (77) comes out for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. | Credits- Scott Kinser-Imagn Images NASCAR drivers expressed strong wariness about the dangers at the Darlington Raceway with the new short-track package throughout last week. Their fears came true on Sunday as they struggled for grip and battled tire wear in the final stages, but Carson Hocevar was able to handle the package with ease and finish fourth after starting from the rear of the field.
The Spire Motorsports driver came to Darlington in a swaggering fashion, wearing a cowboy hat and a vintage Earnhardt-inspired design on his No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro. He dealt with the pressure that came with the look and charged through the field in the homestretch to secure his best result yet on the track.
Notably, he passed Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon with five laps remaining in a daring three-wide move to earn the last of his positions. His performance was impressive for the reason that many other capable drivers found it tough to make passes. He was asked for his opinion on the package after the race, and he shrugged it off as creating only a negligible difference.
“I didn’t think it was too big a difference for me,” Hocevar quipped. “But it was a big difference for a lot of people. Which I am all for.
I feel like we kind of hit it, so it would make sense why I am like, ‘Ah! It made a little difference. Its not huge.