Carson Hocevar continues to show how he does not live a normal life. The most recent example included him posing for photos with LeBron James and Prince Harry.
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Hocevar, the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, ditched his firesuit on Thursday. He donned a formal suit and attended the TIME100 Sports Gala. It was at this star-studded event that he met Prince Harry and the NBA's all-time scoring leader in James.
"There were a lot of cool people - like LeBron (James) walked by and I was like, 'Should I get a photo,'" Hocevar told media members at North Wilkesboro Speedway. "And then I was like, 'No'... I walked over and he was at his table. I sat at a table far away from him and some guy came up to ask for a seat.
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) July 16, 2026
"He happened to know who I was and I knew him. He was like, 'Hey, I'm taking this seat over to LeBron, why don't you walk over?' And so, I walked over and you could tell his security guards just started to swarm in, and then all of a sudden, the guy put his hand up and that's when LeBron stood up, took his glasses off and then we talked for a while."
The conversation with Prince Harry did not last quite as long, Hocevar explained. He said that he only went up to the member of the royal family much later in the event. He said that their conversation lasted about "three words." But he knew he needed to get a photograph for his mom.
"I think I was like, man, 'I wouldn't make my mom proud if I didn't ask for a photo,'" Hocevar explained. "That's who she loves."
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) July 17, 2026
The Spire Motorsports driver had an invitation to this gala due to him landing on a spot on the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in sports.
He secured a spot on the Leaders list while Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan took a spot on the Innovators list.
"Carson Hocevar could very well be the next face of NASCAR," wrote Michael Errigo for the June release. "The 23-year-old from Michigan, who claimed his first Cup Series victory in April, possesses a combination of talent and confidence that attracts a fervent following."
Now that the TIME100 Sports Gala is complete, Hocevar is back to business. He will pull double duty at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He will compete in Saturday afternoon's Truck Series race at the historic short track and then he will compete in Sunday night's Cup Series race.
