The Craftsman Truck Series playoffs provide an opportunity for one driver to cement their place in NASCAR history, but for Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, it’s an opportunity to further show that they are ready for the big time.
The two drivers appear destined for one of the other national series next season. Hocevar has multiple potential paths he can take, including a move to the Cup Series.
Smith wants to be in Cup next season, and signs point to this becoming a reality. It just may not be with Front Row Motorsports after the team exercised options to keep Todd Gilliland and Michael McDowell as full-time drivers.
Smith has proven to be a consistent contender in the Truck Series. He has finished second, second and first in the past three seasons while scoring nine wins with two different teams. He has also made seven starts in Cup with a top-10 finish at Charlotte.
Now Smith has another opportunity to continue showing that he won’t get flustered by high-pressure situations as he battles nine other drivers for the championship trophy. His list of foes includes three-time champion Matt Crafton and 2021 champion Ben Rhodes.
“I’d say I’m a pretty mellow guy, so I don’t get too wound up really,” Smith said. “I mean, I feel like every time you hit the racetrack, it’s an audition in a way. And so especially when you get those opportunities in the final four.”
This ability to keep composure is crucial at the highest level of NASCAR, especially as rookies adjust to the level of competition throughout the field and a schedule that includes 38 races – 36 points-paying. Mistakes will be discussed and examined from every possible angle after they happen.
Composure is something that Hocevar has worked toward this season. It has been a learning process as he has dealt with high-pressure moments on the track and responded in a variety of ways.
This potential Cup future was not in the conversation early in the season. Hocevar made mistakes on the track that took attention away from the production of the No. 42 team and a win at Texas Motor Speedway. For example, he received a two-lap penalty at Martinsville for trying to turn Taylor Gray.
This incident continued a trend from last season that included him hooking Colby Howard’s truck at Indianapolis Raceway Park and intentionally spinning to bring out the caution at Talladega.
Hocevar made mistakes early this season, but he has undergone a metamorphosis. He has responded differently in the heat of the moment, and he has won two more races while showing his overall growth.
For good measure, Hocevar made his Cup debut at Gateway with little notice and he ran inside the top 20 before a brake rotor issue sent the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet into the wall.
This months-long process, which has helped set Hocevar up for a significant offseason move, was made possible by several difficult conversations. This includes a face-to-face with a Hall of Famer.
“Just walking into JR Motorsports and the first second, I see (Dale Earnhardt Jr.),” Hocevar said. “That’s the first thing he says to me is all my mistakes and incidents and lack of awareness and lack of everything.
“There’s plenty of conversations that have happened, but I think that was the most eye-opening, right. Someone you respect doesn’t respect you is big, and then when it’s your childhood hero, that’s huge.”
Hocevar is no stranger to strong finishes. He made the playoffs in his first two Truck seasons, but he went winless while finishing 10th in the standings. This season, he has three wins and 21 playoff points as he prepares for the opener at IRP.
“We have a lot of points in the bank, a lot of playoff points in the bank, a lot more speed,” Hocevar said. “You don’t have to be near as desperate. The only way that we don’t get to Phoenix is if we beat ourselves.”
Hocevar has a cushion between himself and the elimination line. He also has lessons learned from difficult conversations with Earnhardt and other people in his life. Now, he will try to capitalize by making the deepest playoff run of his career and challenging for the title.
This will not be a simple task. Smith has the goal of winning back-to-back championships and then “walking off into the sunset.” In this case, that sunset is the Cup Series.
Smith has already shown that he is ready for the next level of NASCAR while competing across the three national series for a variety of teams. Winning another title would still have extra meaning as the No. 38 team prepares for a seemingly inevitable split after the finale at Phoenix.
“That’s not set in stone that I won’t be with this group again,” Smith said. “But I mean, I definitely -- like I said -- I feel like my time in the Truck Series is, one, hopefully coming to an end soon, and I could go get to racing on Sunday soon.
“But just like I said, just trying to enjoy what we have going on. I have a really great team on the Truck side and just trying to really live in the moment.”
Hocevar sits in a similar situation. His time with Niece Motorsports will come to an end when he moves to another NASCAR series. Before he goes, he wants to deliver a career season for team owner Al Niece.
Ross Chastain’s 2019 campaign is the organization’s high-water mark. He won three Truck races and finished second in the championship standings behind Matt Crafton.
Hocevar has already matched the three wins. He believes he can add another two during the playoffs and deliver the coveted championship trophy.
Achieving this goal would cap off his Truck Series career in the best way possible. It would also give him something special to look back on as he faces the tough road ahead.
“This is my opportunity to win races and win a championship with this race team,” Hocevar said. “I don’t 100% have my next year plans set yet, and it’s going to be a process.
“I don’t expect to come in and win in whatever I’m doing, and I don’t expect to come in and win a championship right away. So I have the opportunity now.”
The trip to Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday (9 p.m. ET on FS1) will be the first opportunity for Hocevar and Smith to further show that they are ready for a move up the ranks. They will battle the other playoff drivers for wins and points. They will also continue the biggest audition of their careers.
