John Breeden Tue, October 13, 2026 at 7:02 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carson Hocevar will "Ride The 'Dente" this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the desert. For the first time since the Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway last June, Hocevar will be behind the wheel of his familiar Chili's No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for Sunday's Cup Series Freeway Insurance 500.
Hocevar has become synonymous with the restaurant chain over the last two years. The driver of the No. 77 has made a huge push to promote his sponsor, often appearing on social media eating at Chili's before and after races.
Last April, Hocevar wheeled the No. 77 Chili's machine to his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega. In an unforgettable celebration, the 23-year-old from Portage, Michigan sat on the driver-side window sill while still driving the car and waved at the fans as he rolled down the Talladega frontstretch.
Spire Motorsports teased the return of Hocevar's Chili's livery in a social media post. With an AI video of a Chili's restaurant out in a desert with the No. 77 Chevrolet parked out front, Spire's social media team penned a fitting caption.
"The 'Dente is heading to the desert," they wrote.
Over the last two years, Chili's has promoted its signature "Presidente Margarita" with its "Ride The 'Dente" commercial, one that frequently aired during the NASCAR on FOX portion of the season.
Chili's was Hocevar's primary sponsor in eight of the first 14 races of the 2026 season. Since then, the restaurant chain has been absent as the driver's primary sponsor as Spectrum and Ziegler Auto Group have taken over the bulk of Hocevar's 2026 stint.
In his third full-time season of Cup Series competition, Hocevar has made major strides in his career. On top of his first career Cup win last April at Talladega, the Spire Motorsports star made his first appearance in the Chase.
After six Chase races, Hocevar sits 11th in the standings and has posted a best Chase finish of third at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, that third-place effort did not come without controversy.
Following contact with Ryan Blaney late in the race that sent the driver of the No. 12 crashing and out of the race, the two came to blows on pit road after the race in a chaotic scene. Neither driver was penalized for the incident.
On top of his on-track success and controversy, Hocevar's popularity has skyrocketed. Last month, it was reported that the third-year driver was No. 1 in online retail merch sales on the NASCAR Shop website. It is a major contrast from one year ago when Hocevar was ranked 32nd in online retail merch sales.
Source: Sports
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