Hocevar meets Guard troops before Talladega run

Carson Hocevar finished sixth in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 25. The result caps a race weekend that began with a military tour at Fort McClellan Training Center. The driver of the No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet visited the base on Oct. 23.

The trip included state Sen. Lance Bell, a Republican from Pell City. Also present were Jeff Newton, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, and Maj. Gen. David Pritchett, the adjutant general for the Alabama National Guard. The group met with soldiers from the Guard’s Lethality Group.

Guard personnel demonstrated sniper rifle capabilities and marksmanship training. Hocevar and the officials watched the drills and spoke with veterans from the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City. Bell distributed challenge coins to the veterans during the visit.

Hocevar told Spectrum News that the event offered a different experience than standard race weekend appearances. He described the visit as a chance to see impactful stories rather than just sit at a table signing autographs. "It’s fun to go do different things and do events like this that obviously are a little bit different then just sitting at a table signing autographs," Hocevar said.

The driver noted that the military respects the teamwork and leadership aspects of NASCAR. He said the connection between the two groups is strong. "Ultimately the military obviously really loves NASCAR, and I think NASCAR really loves the military. It’s super cool from a fact of you know they really respect and enjoy the team work side of NASCAR and the leadership side and we can relate to that as well," Hocevar said.

Bell told the outlet that spending time with the veterans was special. He urged citizens to honor their service by voting in the upcoming election. "These men and women fought for our right to vote so please go out and vote. It doesn’t matter how you vote just show up and vote and take pride in voting," Bell said.

Talladega holds specific meaning for Hocevar. He won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at that track earlier in 2026. The YellaWood 500 was his return to the speedway for the season finale.