Redbud 400 winner Hocevar gets Talladega victory

A former winner of the Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway is the latest driver to win a NASCAR Cup race.

Carson Hocevar used the right strategy on Sunday to win at Talladega Speedway by an expert use of the draft over the course of the final laps.

Hocevar is also a former winner of the Winchester 400 with the former Champion Racing Association and has competed several times at Anderson Speedway.

During the Sunday race he avoided the “big one” that knocked several contenders for the win and was out front when there was another crash involving several cars coming to the checkered flag.

The other news this week, although it was expected, is that Kathrine Legge is the 33rd car entered in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24.

Legge is driving for AJ Foyt Racing and is looking to make her fifth start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Legge’s best career finish at Indy is 22nd, in her rookie year in 2012. In 2023, she qualified 29th while setting two significant speed marks for female drivers in the “500” – the fastest one-lap qualifying speed (231.627 mph) and the fastest four-lap average qualifying speed (231.070). She is just one of just nine women to compete in the world’s most prestigious auto race.

With only 33 cars entered as of this weekend, she is assured a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500, unless a late entry is received for the race.

In other racing news: Racing rivalries in all forms of racing is well documented, but currently there is one brewing locally that has been around for several years.

Josh Poore and Dalton Conner have been battling for race wins at Anderson Speedway for several years and it seems the two are always in close proximity during qualifying and in races.

Both this year are competing in the USA Tires Modifieds and the Vore’s Welding & Steel Street Stocks.

Both have won Modified features this year and this past weekend Poore scored his 52nd feature win in a Street Stock.

Both divisions are loaded with teams that can compete at every race as the car counts have been encouraging.

On the Modified side Tyler DeHart has twice set fast time during qualifying, but has experienced no luck in the two feature events.

For the Street Stocks defending champion Jimmy Kirby III is always a contender for a win and is joined by his father, James Kirby, and Andrew Teepe.

With the spring championships on the horizon there will be several drivers looking to make runs for the respective championships.

Kyle Hamilton recorded the Kenyon Midget feature win at the Indianapolis Speedrome holding off Ayrton Houk and Isaac Johnson in the closing laps.