Carson Hocevar has a lot of ground to make up in the Chase. And his pit crew has been one of the reasons he hasn’t been better.
Hocevar’s pit crew has had one big accomplishment during the Chase for the NASCAR Cup. Its fastest individual stop of 8.84 seconds is the fourth-fastest among all drivers throughout the Chase. It’s not incredibly far behind Chase Briscoe, whose crew boasts the fastest stop of 8.54 seconds since the Chase began.
But his average clean stop of 9.77 seconds is 12th in NASCAR and 10th among drivers in the Chase. His crew has also made three mistakes throughout the Chase, which is the highest number and is tied with Denny Hamlin’s and Daniel Suarez’s crews.
That has resulted in a net loss of 40 positions during the Chase, alongside strategy and race circumstances that also play a role. The number of losses is also tied with Hamlin. Meanwhile, Briscoe, who won the last two races, has arguably the most dominant crew among Chase drivers and in all of NASCAR.
He leads all Chase Drivers with a net gain of 20 positions and is also first in clean average at 9.36.
Phoenix Could Magnify Carson Hocevar’s Struggles
Hocevar is currently tenth in the Chase standings and 180 points behind leader Kyle Larson. He would need to make up a lot of ground if he plans on staying in serious contention. But his track record at Phoenix has been less than promising.
Earlier this season, Hocevar finished 20th at Phoenix. In 2025, he took 36th in the spring race and 28th in the finale. In 2024, his results were 15th in the spring race and 18th in the fall race. Finally, in the 2023 finale, he took 19th. Add those finishes together, and it equals an average of 22.7.
That’s not promising for a driver who must make up ground. Throw in his pit crew’s overall performance of 10.26 seconds — 21st overall and 14th among Chase drivers — and Hoecevar’s chances are even less promising.
This doesn’t mean Hocevar’s chances are dashed before he climbs into the car. But it sets him behind the eight ball both with his history and the way his pit crew has been performing.
A Top-5 Finish At Phoenix Could Shift Momentum
If there is good news for Hocevar, it’s that if he snags a top-five finish at Phoenix, he could easily carry momentum into one of his best tracks: Talladega. After two average finishes at Talladega in 2024, Hocevar took sixth at both Talladega races in 2025. This season, his first career win in the Cup Series came at Talladega.
In short, Hocevar’s Chase isn’t over just yet. But his pit crew must step up its performance at Phoenix. Hocevar must do the same if he wants to be a serious contender in the final races of the season.
He will also need a lot of luck. He’ll need those hovering around the top of the standings to struggle through the final four races for him to remain in serious contention. For Hocevar and his team, the stakes may be at their highest this weekend. It starts with everyone holding up their end of the bargain on Sunday.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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