NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar’s first Cup Series win earlier this season set high marks with merchandise sales, providing further evidence that the auto racing circuit may have its next star.
In his third full-time season and 91st start, the highly touted 23-year-old broke through in late April at Talladega Superspeedway for his first victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The Michigan native had been building up what appeared to be a sizable fan base with his aggressive, improving performances on the track, affable personality and live streams on Twitch, but a driver’s full potential becomes clearer to gauge when he starts winning in the big leagues.
Hocevar was named to Time’s top 100 most influential people in sports on Tuesday, with the magazine saying he “could very well be the next face of NASCAR.” To that end, the early results from Hocevar’s Talladega triumph do suggest legitimate star potential.
According to information learned by SBJ, the sales of Lionel diecast model cars for Hocevar in the 24 hours after Talladega rank as the most of any race win since NASCAR and Lionel formed a joint venture together in the fall of 2010 -- a stunning stat in part because it means he eclipsed victories like Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 Daytona 500 win. The exact number was unknown, but Lionel’s website showed 10 versions available for purchase ranging from $11.75 to $165.
Hocevar is No. 6 in driver trackside merchandise sales overall in NASCAR this year, and he’s been in the top five since his win, according to a person familiar with the matter. The No. 77 Chevrolet that he drove at Talladega from Spire Motorsports, with Chili’s Grill & Bar as primary sponsor and confetti on the hood, stands a good chance of finishing the season as the best-selling diecast of the season, the person added.
Other sponsors of the No. 77 include Spectrum, and Hocevar has also been in talks with Monster Energy about an endorsement deal.
Hocevar, who was given the nickname “Hurricane” by NBC Sports announcer Leigh Diffey last year, is also a top seller on NASCAR’s e-commerce site. He also was the fourth-most selected player in the “NASCAR ’25” video game in the weeks after his win.
Hocevar’s personal e-commerce site, which has items like a $35 first-win T-shirt, generated nearly $500,000 in sales over the first month after Talladega, SBJ understands. He was in contention to get a home-race victory last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, where Prime Video announcer Adam Alexander noted the number of fans in the stands wearing Hocevar’s shirts and hats.
Hocevar finished fifth, but his audacious driving style drew criticism, with the AP this week writing a piece on how Hocevar was “accused of ‘creating a lot of enemies’ in NASCAR after a nine-car crash at Michigan.” Hocevar, who also attended the Met Gala this year, ranks seventh in the season-long point standings, one spot behind two-time champion Kyle Larson. He has roughly 767,000 social media followers across various channels.
Lionel has been NASCAR’s diecast licensee since 2010, when it replaced Motorsports Authentics, and it sells the model cars directly on its website, in brick-and-mortar stores and at retailers like Walmart, Target and Meijer.
