Getty CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 12: Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. addresses the media during the NASCAR Championship Format Announcement at NASCAR Productions Facility on January 12, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) Chase Elliott still controls the NASCAR Most Popular Driver conversation, but Carson Hocevar’s rise during the 2026 NASCAR season has started to change how many fans view the future of the sport. Hocevar’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at