Carson Hocevar has become one of the most polarizing drivers in NASCAR this season, earning huge support from the fan base while angering his peers and drawing criticism across media platforms. However, following recent fan interactions, the young driver is now drawing praise.
On this week’s episode of Door Bumper Clear, Tommy Baldiwn took a moment to applaud Hocevar and give him major credit for taking time after last Sunday’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway to interact with fans and sign autographs rather than looking to head home as quickly as possible.
“I’m clapping for Carson Hocevar…When I seen that picture of the crowd on the front stretch and him being the only driver there. Which, now I don’t know if he’s the one that asked the track to open the gates so he can sign, but that reminded me of the old days in the 70s-early 80s when these guys used to travel and come to all these short tracks, that’s what it was about. That’s how the fan base was built…I think he’s gonna change a couple of thought processes in the industry, getting the fans to be able to be more engaged with these drivers and these other drivers are gonna have to slow down a bit when they’re gonna want to go home and have to start doing this. That’s where the relationships are made in the beginning.”
Tommy Baldwin on Carson Hocevar’s interactions with NASCAR fans at Gateway
Baldwin has been a critic of Hocevar’s aggressive driving and his penchant for sometimes intentionally bringing more attention upon himself with his on-track actions and comments. However, he also sees the 23-year-old as being an example for other NASCAR drivers about what it will take to build a passionate and lasting fan base.
While Hocevar might not be beloved by his peers, the overwhelming support from fans speaks for itself. He recently trolled NASCAR media after being incident-free last Sunday in a race with a track record for cautions, and his savvy marketing after the Brad Keselowski incident is the most-recent example of how his social media posts drive engagement and make money.
As for what specifically happened at Gateway, Hocevar shared why he views it as so important to have those moments with NASCAR fans. Speaking to Matt Weaver of Motorsport.com, Hocevar explained why he views it as a necessity to sign autographs for as many fans as he can and expressed his hope what he does inspires other drivers to follow suit.
“They pay our bills…Some of us are still fans at heart…I’ve been wanting them to do that. I got the whole fans against the stands, I got out, you’d think I won the race…I was talking to them and I was like, ‘Man, can I go over there?’ and they’re like probably not and then they opened the gate and came to me. I’m not going to say no, because saying no would be against everything I stand for. If you want to make a change, you have to do the change.”
Carson Hocevar on why it’s so important to interact with NASCAR fans after the race, signing dozens of autographs at Gateway
The results speak for themselves. Hocevar’s popularity has exploded this year, both in terms of followers on social media platforms and merchandise sales both at the track and online. At a time when NASCAR is looking for ways to increase its popularity and teams want to generate as much revenue as possible, he is offering the blueprint for how to do it. Hocevar’s on-track antics certainly will not endear him to other drivers, but his results have still greatly improved this year, and Spire Motorsports could not be happier with the support he has earned from sponsors and fans.
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