NASCAR
Carson Hocevar Makes First Championship 4 Appearance after Homestead Win
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Arguably the breakout star of the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series will now race for the championship. Coming in clutch over the final 11 laps, Carson Hocevar wins his way into the Championship 4 at Homestead. The four-time 2023 winner joins regular season champion Corey Heim as well as Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger as the Trucks’ final four contenders.
.@CarsonHocevar to the lead over @benrhodes! This could shake up #NASCARPlayoffs picture!
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) October 21, 2023
📺: FS1 | 📲: https://t.co/kd5eqkSSWE pic.twitter.com/Qo07ZP9jnW
Heim’s No. 11 Toyota appeared to be the class of the field early on, winning both Stages with ease. Defending Series champion Zane Smith took command to start Stage 3 however, with the No. 38 hardly ever looking back. Smith was in a must-win scenario to make his fourth-straight championship race.
On a Hail Mary strategy call, Ben Rhodes’ crew opted to pit him out of sequence late for fresher tires. Rhodes initially finished third but was soon moved up to second. In post-race inspection Zane Smith’s runner-up was disqualified after an unapproved windshield support was discovered. While the 2022 champion will not be able to go for title number two, 2021 champion Rhodes does have this honor.
Fourth-place finisher Grant Enfinger is the final Trucker heading to Phoenix with a title on his mind. In their last start as a team, GMS Racing will be going for the Truck Series crown. In two weeks’ time they will battle against the hottest driver in Trucks, Carson Hocevar.
“It kills me I can’t do a burnout but we have to take this truck to Phoenix,’’ Hocevar said. “This truck was so good. We just got behind on pit stops and just lost track position which was unfortunate, but man, it’s so good to feel [like this]. I love it.”
“I thought we could win today with our truck, even with all the setbacks from the debris and everything, we had a shot to win and we did just that.’’
Behind Hocevar and Rhodes, the top-five from Homestead were Heim, Enfinger, and Bayley Currey. The rest of the top-10 were: Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Rajah Caruth, Ty Majeski, and Chase Purdy. Majeski’s 2023 title bid ends in the Round of 8, as do the Playoffs for Christian Eckes, Nicholas Sanchez, and Zane Smith.
It all comes down to Phoenix now for the final four contenders. One of these drivers will soon be crowned a NASCAR champion. The Craftsman 150 will go green Friday, November 3 at 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. An even mix of veteran experience and youthful exuberance should make a very compelling battle for the 2023 Truck Series title.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images
