Hocevar is doing all he can to make sure fans see a new side of him.
The debate around Carson Hocevar is centered around multiple viewpoints. For starters, people argue about Hocevar's talent and racing ability. Then, his attitude and behavior on and off the grid come into play. But besides that, there is a casual yet significant battle that Hocevar finds himself dragged into. Many fans from the community are pitching Hocevar as the direct competitor of Chase Elliott.
Chase Elliott has been snatching the Most Popular Driver Award for the past few years now. And at this point, fans wonder if there's a driver who actually dethrones him. Here's where Hocevar comes into play. In 2026 in particular, Hocevar had earned himself a massive fandom owing to his driving style and achievements this year. His merchandise sales are going up, and every incident adds on to his already famous social media presence.
Hocevar wants to become a fan's driver and not just a puppet
A regular complaint that NASCAR fans have is that drivers are too reserved. Their sponsor obligations and their PR training keep them masked under a shell that they need to display in public. Hocevar, meanwhile, is like a horse without reigns. He runs free and doesn't really give a second thought before putting out his opinions.
Not only that, Carson also tries to give his fans an inside view of his life through streams and social media banters. And fans can't keep getting enough of it. This rise to fame is the most important reason why the community is rallying behind Hocevar to best Chase Elliott this year. And Hocevar seems to realize it too.
"You've seen drivers try it. There are drivers that have done YouTube videos. But they're racing videos, and NASCAR's already a niche. So then now you're making a niche of a niche," Hocevar explains to Jeff Gluck in an interview.
"A lot of their videos are just driver interviews. They could see their personality if they just watched the race, right? They're not really seeing a lot of new."
Hocevar's biggest inspiration is Cleetus McFarland. The YouTube sensation has become one of the most loved drivers in NASCAR currently. His following is so huge that even NASCAR is trying to utilize his presence to gain more fans. Hocevar urged other drivers to look beyond monetary returns and just give the fans a real, raw look at their day-to-day life and hobbies.
