Carson Hocevar has spent much of the 2026 NASCAR season making headlines for all kinds of reasons.

He’s won his first NASCAR Cup Series race. He’s tangled with competitors. He’s been criticized by fellow drivers. He’s become a weekly topic of conversation, whether he’s running at the front or somewhere in the middle of the field.

But there is another Hocevar storyline developing that has nothing to do with an on-track incident.

NASCAR revealed this week that the 23-year-old Spire Motorsports driver currently ranks No. 1 in online retail sales through the NASCAR Shop. Hocevar is also among the top five in trackside merchandise sales.

NASCAR says @CarsonHocevar ranks No. 1 in online retail sales (on the NASCAR Shop website) and is in the top five of trackside sales. At this time last year he ranked 32nd.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 27, 2026

The comparison to a year ago makes those numbers even more striking.

At this point last season, Hocevar ranked 32nd in trackside sales.

That’s quite a transformation for a driver who has become one of the most talked-about figures in the Cup garage. Whatever anyone thinks about Hocevar’s aggressive style behind the wheel, NASCAR fans are increasingly paying attention to him. And plenty of them are apparently opening their wallets, too.

Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR Merchandise Sales Have Exploded

Hocevar’s rise didn’t suddenly begin this summer.

The clearest sign of what was happening came after he captured his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season.

According to NASCAR, sales of Hocevar’s licensed merchandise during the 24 hours following the victory were the highest following any NASCAR race win since NASCAR and Lionel Racing formed their joint venture in 2010.

Think about the drivers and victories packed into that 16-year span.

Hocevar’s 24-hour total even surpassed merchandise sales following Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 Daytona 500 victory.

That doesn’t make Hocevar more popular than Earnhardt was, nor does one 24-hour sales window tell the entire story of a driver’s fan base. But it does illustrate just how quickly demand for Hocevar merchandise surged after his breakthrough victory.

And the momentum clearly hasn’t disappeared.

NASCAR’s latest retail numbers now have Hocevar leading every Cup Series driver in online sales through the NASCAR Shop, while his trackside ranking has jumped from 32nd a year ago into the top five.

The merchandise is only one piece of it.

From January through May, Hocevar recorded the largest percentage increase in cross-platform followers among Cup Series drivers, according to NASCAR. His combined audience across Facebook, Instagram and X grew 70.6%, with Hocevar adding nearly 200,000 followers during that period.

Those are tangible signs that one of NASCAR’s most polarizing young drivers is becoming one of its most marketable, too.

Hocevar Has Become Increasingly Difficult for NASCAR Fans to Ignore

Of course, Hocevar hasn’t built that following by keeping a low profile.

His aggressive approach has repeatedly drawn the ire of other drivers. Bubba Wallace said earlier this summer that Hocevar was “creating a lot of enemies.” Ryan Blaney memorably called him an “absolute weapon” and a “moron” over the radio following an incident at Atlanta.

Even Kyle Larson recently weighed in after Hocevar spun at New Hampshire, saying on Door Bumper Clear, “Spinning out before the race? That was 1000% just to get on TV.”

The criticism hasn’t stopped Hocevar from leaning into his personality.

He has regularly engaged with fans online, appeared on platforms outside the traditional NASCAR ecosystem and, earlier this summer, turned criticism from Zane Smith into a T-shirt exchange with fans. Instead of avoiding the conversation surrounding him, Hocevar often seems perfectly comfortable standing in the middle of it.

Three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano believes that’s good for NASCAR.

“I think Carson’s great for the sport,” Logano said during an appearance on Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour.” “I think he brings a ton of new fans, different fans. Just the way he is different than the rest of us. The way he speaks, he’s just, he’s younger. Yeah, I don’t know what he’s talking about half the time, I don’t know what these words mean. But people love it and there’s no denying that and that’s great, that’s great for our sport.”

Hocevar certainly isn’t universally loved, and his growing popularity isn’t going to erase the criticism surrounding some of his decisions on the racetrack.

It doesn’t have to.

NASCAR has spent years searching for young personalities capable of getting fans invested enough to pick a side. Hocevar is increasingly proving he can do exactly that.

He gets reactions. He generates conversation. His audience is growing. His merchandise is selling.

A year ago, Hocevar was 32nd in trackside merchandise sales. Now he’s in the top five there and No. 1 online.

Fans may still be debating what they think of Carson Hocevar. Their wallets are sending a much clearer message.