Carson Hocevar Pit Crew Member Caught Up In Scary Incident In Talladega

Newsweek

28-04-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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One of Carson Hocevar's Spire Motorsports pit crew members, Jarius Morehead, was caught up in a scary pit stop incident at Talladega Superspeedway yesterday.
As Hocevar's car was wide out of his pit box, Josh Berry, who was coming into the pit box in front of him, knocked the tires in Morehead's hands. The tires smashed into his side and pushed him over the car hood. Amazingly, he continued with the pit stop.
The crews on pit road are just built different. Tough. pic.twitter.com/X9qjg5pIa3 — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 27, 2025
Commenting to the media following the race, Berry explained:
"I felt like we did a really good job and saved a lot of fuel and then still had the track position by the end of it. I knew I needed to get on the pit road good and I just went a little too deep.
Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Chili's Ride the 'Dente Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee.
Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Chili's Ride the 'Dente Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 13, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
"I mean I think it's a couple of different things. I think it's trying to be aggressive, but at the same time, probably that's the first time in one of these that I've actually been in that position where I'm not kind of judging my braking marker off of somebody else. So, I just thought that I could go a little bit deeper than I could have."
Hocevar also commented:
"Ultimately, we came with a lot of the Toyotas that were up front, but they were up front and burned a lot of fuel. We were sitting back there, taking care of our stuff and being able to jump them.
"Ultimately, we knew the rest of the field was going to try and go long compared to them. That just gave us a window that a yellow could come out. We were in our window, had plenty of fuel, and ultimately just gave ourselves a shot. Take the six, seven laps of miracles, spot that you can get a yellow and lead versus trying to play the pit road game, and hopefully shuffle."
Morehead made the move from college football to NASCAR pit crew after the Covid-19 pandemic. As he missed his opportunity in the NFL, he decided to shift his focus to the world of NASCAR.
During an interview with The Plainsman, Morehead revealed:
"On my birthday, March 13, the world shut down.
"What is my next option. [I was] talking to my agent and people start getting picked up as undrafted free agents. So in my mind I'm like dang, I guess I have to go the CFL route.
"I'm thinking to myself, 'I did everything I'm supposed to do.' I was just questioning God. 'Why me, why me?'
"I was just playing Call of Duty when the phone rang and it was Hendrick. They are like 'Hey we want you to come tryout for our pit crew.'"