Carson Hocevar is still searching for his first win as a NASCAR Cup Series driver, and he nearly got it in the sport's biggest race.

The 23-year-old was the only driver pulling triple duty in all three national divisions during Daytona Speedweek. Things started off well as he earned a runner-up finish in his Duel qualifying race, ensuring he would start the Daytona 500 from the sixth position on the grid.

But before the big show, he took part in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. In the Truck Series, he battled gremlins in both practice and the race, with his Spire Motorsports truck shutting off while leading the race.

He led 20 laps on Friday night, but also spun three separate times, causing back-to-back cautions at one point. In the end, he finished 35th, recording a DNF.

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

In the O'Reilly Series, he tool the wheel of a Young's Motorsports Chevrolet, and played it a bit safer. He never led, but unfortunately, a calmer approach didn't save him from the wrecks. He was collected in the final two incidents of the race, and finished 20th.

And then on pit road, he got screamed at by Carson Ware, who took issue with something that happened out on the track.

Hocevar hoped to put the tumultuous two days behind him, telling Motorsport.com's Matt Weaver on Saturday night: I'm hoping I'm destined to have really bad luck, and the Duel went completely fine, so I'm hoping it's just the fact that I'm running other races that the racing gods don't like me."

Well, his luck was much better on Sunday, until it wasn't. Hocevar took the lead from teammate Michael McDowell on the final restart of the race, and was leading at the white flag. However, his 500 dream ended soon after as an awkward bump from Erik Jones sent him spinning down the track.

He limped the car to the finish line, placing 18th -- his best finish of the weekend, but it was so close to being so much more.

POV from the 43 of the final lap of the Daytona 500. 💔 pic.twitter.com/np5yCy82S5

— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LEGACYMotorClub) February 16, 2026

After the race, Hocevar reflected on the finish in a post-race media scrum: "The top had a huge run. Jones was just offset a little to the right. I don't know if I didn't commit all the way up, or if he just got me off-center, and just hooked me into the wall, and obviously I bounced off of it. 

"Yeah, our goal is to be leading at the wide. I feel like I'm a really, really good pusher. And I feel like I do a really good job. The 45 [Tyler Reddick] had the lead, and then 71 [McDowell] had strategy and I pushed him off into the lead. I feel like sometimes we were getting too far out, but I felt like that's what worked for the move. So, I was trying to just get us going ... Obviously, I'm fortunate. Car in my mirror at the white flag, won the race.  I think that's just good execution on our part and everything."

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

The positive is that he got a lot of stage points, which helps him looking ahead to the rest of the season. The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Atlanta, where Hocevar finished second one year ago.

"Everybody cares about this race more than anything," added Hocevar. "And for us to be up front ... I'm really proud of that."

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