NASCAR

Carson Hocevar’s Great News Has Nothing to Do With His NASCAR Future

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Carson Hocevar waits in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway on June 10, 2022.

It’s been a busy week on announcements as Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams have been unveiling driver lineups, but the announcement about Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR future got overshadowed by someone.

And that someone was Hocevar himself. The 19-year-old Michigan native dropped some news that’s more important than which team he’ll be making left turns for in 2023.

NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar revealed great news about his girlfriend

NASCAR truck series driver Carson Hocevar already had plenty on his mind before breaking an ankle in early June at WWT Raceway at Gateway. That’s because a more significant medical development two weeks early had him fixated on girlfriend Peyton Lanphear.

According to a GoFundMe page created in the spring by a friend of the young woman’s family, Lanphear, who was more than halfway to her nursing degree, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. That’s a blood cancer targeting the immune system, and the prescribed treatment was an extensive series of chemotherapy sessions.

On Wednesday, Hocevar went on Twitter to share a joyful update, revealing that his longtime girlfriend is officially cancer-free.

“Cancer is very tough thing to watch and can only imagine dealing first hand with it,” he wrote. “However, my favorite person beat this battle today.”

Carson Hocevar will be back with Niece Motorsports in 2023

Carson Hocevar waits in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway on June 10, 2022. | Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Carson Hocevar waits in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway on June 10, 2022. | Sean Gardner/Getty Images

It was hardly a surprise, but Niece Motorsports announced on Thursday that Carson Hocevar will return to the team for a third full-time season in the Craftsman Truck Series. He is coming off two straight 10th-place showings in the season standings and remains in search of his first victory.

“Niece Motorsports feels like home, so I’m excited to come back and compete for a Championship in 2023,” said Hocevar said in the team’s announcement. “I’m so thankful to Worldwide Express and their WWEX Racing program for stepping up to sponsor us for the whole season. I’ve enjoyed the partnership and really look forward to growing it next season. Our goal remains to bring Niece Motorsports, Al Niece and WWEX Racing wins and a championship in 2023.”

Said Niece Motorsports GM Cody Efaw: “Carson has proven time and time again what a tremendous talent he is, and we are glad that he’ll be back behind the wheel of our Chevrolets again next year.”

A breakthrough victory seems inevitable

RELATED: A Steamed Ryan Preece Tapes an Epic Public Service Announcement for an Oblivious Carson Hocevar to Watch

Carson Hocevar has had some close calls, but there have been no trips to Victory Lane thus far in his 20 top-10 finishes in 54 starts. Most telling about his determination is that he did not miss any starts in the aftermath of fracturing an ankle in the June crash at Worldwide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

Just one week after that mishap, he earned his first pole at Sonoma Raceway.

He finished the season with seven top-five results and a total of 282 laps led, including the first 65 at Knoxville the week after Sonoma before an engine probably ended his night.

“I’ve dreamed of racing in NASCAR since I was a little kid,” Hocevar said. To be preparing for my third full-time season in the Truck Series is surreal.”

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