ROCKINGHAM — One driver has been confirmed, so far, for this year’s Black’s Tire 200 at Rockingham Speedway.
Race the Rock announced March 12 that Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar will be competing in the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, April 3.
Hocevar will be behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Silverado RST.
According to the Spire website, the team’s two trucks “will be driven by a rotating roster of all-star drivers” for the 2026 season. However, Spire has not yet released the name of the No. 7 driver.
In last year’s Black’s Tire 200, Andreas Perez de Lara drove the No. 77 and Corey Day was in the No. 7. Perez and Day finished 12th and 22nd, respectively.
No. 77: Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado
Nigel Kinrade - Spire Motorsports
Hocevar, a Michigan native, started driving at the age of 7 and was able to “learn the ins and outs of the industry” due to his father being a crew member for local teams, according to the driver’s website.
He started competing in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2019, driving in two races.
Hocevar joined Niece Motorsports in 2020, and was a full-time competitor in the 2021-2023 seasons, earning 17 top 5 finishes with four wins in 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Richmond Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After coming on board with Spire in 2025, Hocevar ran four races in the truck series, winning at Kansas Speedway. He’s competed so far this year at Daytona and Atlanta, finishing second in the latter race.
Hocevar has also competed in seven races in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, with three Top 10 finishes since 2013. He started driving full time in the Cup Series with Spire in 2024, with 10 top 10 finishes — with two second-place runs in 2025.
Corey Heim races down the frontstretch of Rockingham Speedway in the 2025 Black's Tire 200.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Griffin Toyota announced last week that 2025 Craftsman Truck Series champ Corey Heim will be at the dealership just before Thunderfest in downtown Rockingham on Thursday, April 2.
The Hamlet dealership is hosting a pre-race event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and will feature the Tundra TRD Pro Replica Race Truck and a chance to win a VIP pit pass. Heim will be on site starting at 1 p.m.
Driving for Tricon Garage, Heim finished 8th in the Black’s Tire 200 last year, but secured wins in 12 races. He also had two second-place finishes and came in third in five races. Heim placed fifth at Atlanta this season.
From 2022-2024, Heim had 11 truck series wins and a total of 47 top 10 finishes. He was named Rookie of the Year in ‘22.
ThunderFest will be from 4-9 p.m. in Rockingham’s Harrington Square, featuring driver meet-and-greets, food and merchandise vendors, a beer garden, Kids Zone and live music from Anna J and the headlining Eli Young Band. The event is free and open to the public.
The Black’s Tire 200 is scheduled for Friday, April 3 at 4:30 p.m. There will be several pre-race activities, including an appearance from Miss North Carolina and performances by Richmond County students.
The racing action continues Saturday, April 4 with a 125-lap race in the ARCA Menards Series East and the N.C. Education Lottery 250 race, featuring YouTube star Cleetus McFarland making his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with Richard Childress Racing.
Tickets are available online at racetherock.com and at Rockingham City Hall from 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 1-4 p.m. on Fridays.
