KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Portage racer Carson Hocevar hosted a meet and greet at Zeigler Motorsports in Kalamazoo on Friday, August 16.

The NASCAR Cup Series rookie spent about an hour signing autographs and taking photos with fans before taking a lucky fan for a ride on the dirt track behind the facility.

Hocevar, who drives the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, will make his first Cup Series start on Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Hocevar’s car is sponsored by two Michigan-based companies, Premier Security and Zeigler Auto Group, both of which take on lead roles.

Last week at Richmond Raceway, Hocevar started 19th and brought the No. 77 Camaro to the finish line in eighth place, matching his NCS career-best, marking his third top-10 finish of the year.

In his first and only race behind the wheel at MIS, Hocevar started the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series seventh. The Portage, Michigan native was involved in an incident on lap 12 while running inside the top 10. His No. 77 Premiere Security Chevrolet was heavily damaged, but he continued to battle throughout the day and ultimately finished 32nd.

The 21-year-old is currently in 1st place in the rookie rankings and 21st in the overall Cup series rankings.