NASCAR Cup Series insiders insist Carson Hocevar possesses the driving skills to contend for a drivers’ championship in the next few seasons.
That is, if the 22-year-old sophomore survives the 2025 campaign.
Not only will he have to drive with one eye on where rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is at all times, but his on-track fortunes will have to change.
Entering Sunday’s event at Pocono Raceway, Hocevar ranks 20th in the standings after 16 events, posting three top-10 finishes and four DNFs. His season highlight includes a win in the non-points All-Star Open race.
So far this season, Hocevar has blown tires, endured prolonged pit stops, lost battery power and after leading at Michigan, another tire gave out.
Plus, he’s angered Stenhouse to the point he’ll likely take out the No. 77 Chevrolet out of pure spite at some point this season. The two have tangled three consecutive outings, including last Sunday at Mexico City. Stenhouse confronted Hocevar after their latest incident.
“I’m going to beat your (butt),” Stenhouse said, as reported by The Associated Press. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why (did) you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (butt) when we get back to the States.”
Kyle Larson (+350) earned the top sports-betting odds to win the Cup Series championship, according to BetOnline Sportsbook.
Among other problems for Hocevar, he also offended the country of Mexico so much that his organization, Spire Motorsports, fined him and ordered sensitivity training after he made offensive comments.
Still, Hocevar has his backers. Some believe he remains a big part of the future of Cup racing.
Is it a matter of maturity?
No one’s had it worse than Carson Hocevar this year… #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/sXvyLvXOXS
— EJ | CH77 Fan (@dacloserinda4) June 8, 2025
2025 NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship Odds
Here is a Week 17 look at the drivers’ odds for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series drivers’ championship, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +350 |
| Christopher Bell | +450 |
| Denny Hamlin | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +650 |
| William Byron | +700 |
| Chase Elliott | +1100 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1100 |
| Joey Logano | +1400 |
| Ross Chastain | +2000 |
| Alex Bowman | +2500 |
| Josh Berry | +3300 |
| Chase Briscoe | +3300 |
| Kyle Busch | +4000 |
| Chris Buescher | +4000 |
| Bubba Wallace | +4000 |
| Austin Cindric | +4000 |
| Carson Hocevar | +4000 |
| Ty Gibbs | +5000 |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +6000 |
| Brad Keselowski | +6000 |
| Ryan Preece | +10000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +15000 |
| Erik Jones | +25000 |
| Austin Dillon | +25000 |
| Noah Gragson | +25000 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +25000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +30000 |
| Michael McDowell | +30000 |
| Zane Smith | +30000 |
| Justin Haley | +30000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +30000 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +50000 |
| Cole Custer | +50000 |
| Ty Dillon | +50000 |
*-Odds current at time of publication
