Carson Hocevar Turns Rear-Start Penalty Into Darlington Top-5, Boosts Chase Cushion

A savvy wave-around call turned a rear-start penalty into a pivotal points gain.

Overview

After unapproved adjustments triggered a rear start, Hocevar fell a lap down early before rallying to finish fourth at Darlington.
Crew chief Luke Lambert leveraged a Stage 2 wave-around to restore the No. 77 to the lead lap, enabling a steady charge forward.
Hocevar sealed the result with a bold three-wide pass of Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon with five laps to go.
The run made him the highest-finishing Chevrolet and lifted him to 13th in the standings, 12 points above the Chase cutoff.
He downplayed the effect of NASCAR’s new short-track aero package, calling the difference small compared to others’ struggles.