DARLINGTON, South Carolina— It began as a joke. But in the end, it became Carson Hocevar’s most treasured possession and the ideal addition to NASCAR’s throwback weekend.
A black 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck that was customized to resemble Dale Earnhardt’s GM Goodwrench No. 3 vehicle caught Hocevar’s attention while browsing Facebook Marketplace after he finished third in Phoenix last month.
Hocevar, who jokes that he only ever buys things from Door Dash or possibly Amazon, questioned people who assist him in making financial decisions if he ought to buy the truck. He thought they would persuade him out of making such a purchase, and he meant it as a joke.
“The responses were overwhelming,” Hocevar added.
He stated that the answers were “blank yes.”
So he did.
For Hocevar, who remembers the days at Kalamazoo (Michigan) Speedway when the track owner owned an intimidating Monte Carlo, the acquisition is the realization of a childhood fantasy.
At Darlington Raceway on Saturday, Hocevar remarked, “I always thought that was the coolest thing.” “I always thought it would be amazing to have a NASCAR car, essentially, be my street car—not a real race car, but one that is outfitted like that.
Since I was a young child, I had coveted one of those Monte Carlos. I was immediately reminded of that by that Dale vehicle.
It has been a well-liked road trip. According to Hocevar, he has had people wave, honk, and say “hell, yeah!” at the vehicle.
Hocevar went to a petrol station and stayed there for a while after he received it because the vehicle was running low on fuel.
Noting their curiosity in the truck, Hocevar remarked, “I think there were five people at the gas station and all five of them, I had in-depth conversations with.” “I discovered their history and how awesome this is.” It will make a lot of friends, in my opinion. It sparks a discussion.
