Hocevar Secures First Career Pole at Texas; Team Chevy Sweeps Front Row
In a standout performance during the NASCAR Cup qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway, Carson Hocevar clinched his first career pole position with a time of 28.174 seconds in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Following closely in second was William Byron in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, just 0.014 seconds behind.
Hocevar, who also dominated the preceding practice session, expressed gratitude towards his team, highlighting their consistent effort and dedication. “It’s really big for these guys. It’s super impressive for what they’ve been able to do,” he stated. Despite his achievement, Hocevar reflected on the session with a hint of self-criticism, mentioning he could have performed better. “Super proud of this team,” he added, noting the significance of securing the first pit stall, an advantage he aims to leverage in the race.
Austin Cindric, last weekend’s Talladega race winner, qualified third, leading the Ford contingent. Other notable drivers included Kyle Larson in fourth and Hocevar’s teammate Michael McDowell in fifth. Ty Gibbs led the Toyota field in sixth, followed by Josh Berry, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, and AJ Allmendinger.
Defending Texas winner Chase Elliott will start in 29th position, a challenge he has overcome before, having previously won from 24th in last year’s race. Other high-profile drivers facing similar challenges include Ryan Blaney (24th), Kyle Busch (26th), Joey Logano (27th), Brad Keselowski (30th), and Ross Chastain (31st).
The qualifying session remained incident-free, though history suggests that pole sitters have struggled to convert their starting position into victory at Texas in the past three seasons of the Next Gen era. Hocevar’s existing experience, having raced in the Truck series earlier in the weekend, may prove advantageous as the competition commences.
Key Qualifying Results
- Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports) – 28.174s
- William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) – 28.188s
- Austin Cindric (Team Penske) – 28.223s
- Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) – 28.238s
- Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports) – 28.250s
Hocevar now aims to transform his strong qualifying performance into a race win, a crucial milestone for both him and Spire Motorsports.
