Carson Hocevar Secures Top-10 Finish at Michigan After Weather-Delayed Race
The Zeigler.com-sponsored No. 77 driver Carson Hocevar finished in P10 on Monday, August 19, 2024 at Michigan International Speedway after weather delays. Hocevar, who is part of Spire Motorsports, secured his fourth top-10 of the season.
(KALAMAZOO, MICH) – August 19, 2024 – Carson Hocevar secured his fourth top-10 at Michigan International Speedway, after weather delays pushed the race to on Monday, August 19, 2024. Hocevar, who piloted the Zeigler.com No. 77 also spent the day with the Team Zeigler and fans during a Meet and Greet event at Zeigler Motorsports on August 16, 2024.
(Carson Hocevar during the Zeigler Motorsports Meet and Greet signing a guitar that once belonged to Slash of Guns’N’Roses)
The Meet and Greet included a raffle to win a ride with Hocevar with the winner Aleigha Schwartz choosing a ride in the No. 77 replica Camaro.
(Aleigha Schwartz wins ride with Carson Hocevar in the Zeigler.com No. 77 replica Camaro)
(Fans gathered around Carson Hocevar during the Zeigler Meet & Greet at Zeigler Motorsports)
(Carson Hocevar with WWMT Channel 3 – Andy Pepper during the Michigan Meet and Greet at Zeigler Motorsports)
The local media was also in attendance with WWMT, Fox 17, and MLive covering the weekend.
Saturday’s qualifying session for the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway was called off due to bad weather, resulting in the starting lineup being determined by the rulebook. Carson Hocevar, a native of Portage, Michigan, began the race in 11th place, aided by his strong eighth-place finish at Richmond the previous week.
However, Hocevar faced early challenges in Stage One as his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 struggled with handling issues and a malfunctioning rear-view camera. Despite these setbacks, the No. 77 team took advantage of the stage caution to make necessary adjustments to the car and fix the camera.
Just as racing was set to continue, more inclement weather swept through the Irish Hills, postponing the remainder of the race to Monday afternoon. Once racing resumed, the 21-year-old rookie showed his determination, maneuvering his well-handling Premier Security/Zeigler Auto Group Camaro through the field. Hocevar finished Stage Two in 14th place.
The Final Stage was marked by strategic decisions from crew chief Luke Lambert. A late pit stop for fuel and two right-side tires helped keep Hocevar in the top 15. With a double-overtime finish and careful fuel management, the No. 77 Chevy crossed the finish line in 10th place, earning Hocevar his fourth top-10 finish of the season.
“It’s good to get a top 10 after falling to 35th on Sunday. We had a few freak mechanical problems, but we were able to reset and get our No. 77 Premier Security/Zeigler Auto Group Chevy handling good. We put together a strong run for the team and Spire Motorsports. We represented our two Michigan-based sponsors well, both of whom mean so much to me. It’s awesome to finish good at home, but back-to-back top-10s is just as rewarding. That is no small feat. I had a lot of friends and family out here, so it means a lot to get a good finish with them in attendance. Plain and simple, we had a super strong car and we now have good momentum heading into Daytona, a place where anything can happen.”
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