NASCAR News: Carson Hocevar wins Talladega Cup race wreckfest

Spire Motorsports youngster Carson Hurricane Hocevar won his first NASCAR Cup race in style by outdueling a hungry pack of cars in overtime in the Jack Links 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway.

The 23-year-old from Portage, Michigan, passed Chris Buescher after a restart with two laps to go.

Talladega would not be the same without the annual big wreck that wipes out half the field.  This time 25 of the 40 cars were involved.

CARSON HOCEVAR WINS AT TALLADEGA! pic.twitter.com/5B6WQFi87T

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2026

Ryan Preece led a parade of six Fords to the end of the first stage, edging out Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano for the stage win. The feeling all along both the inside and outside of the track’s 2.66 miles was that this was anyone’s race … and the track hadn’t yet begun to show its teeth.

The carnage kicked off 18 laps into the second stage, on Lap 116. Ross Chastain bumped Bubba Wallace from behind, setting off a massive wreck that decimated the field:

Contact at the front of the field!

Many, many cars are collected in this @TALLADEGA incident! pic.twitter.com/ebOpaeiVRm

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 26, 2026

The crash involved 25 of the 40 cars in the field, including (deep breath): Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Joey Logano, William Byron, Jesse Love, Cole Custer, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Joey Gase, Tyler Reddick, Cody Ware, Ty Gibbs, Chad Finchum, Michael McDowell, Carson Hocevar, Connor Zilisch, and Shane Van Gisbergen. Fortunately, all drivers were checked and released from the infield care center without incident.

Tyler Reddick, who’s already won five races this season, saw his chances at a victory vaporize midway through the final stage, along with his front left.

Twelve drivers won their first career race at Talladega, and Hocevar spent the final laps trying to join their number. The two-by-two racing dominated the last few laps, with Hocevar and Buescher dueling for the lead. A late spin from Erik Jones with seven laps remaining gave the field just three laps to settle the day in regulation.

Hocevar, on the low line, and Buescher, on the high one, dueled side by side through the final laps. Hocevar managed to hang on for the victory as cars spun behind him, claiming his first win at the Cup level.

2026 Talladega 500 Race Results