SS-Green Light Racing releases Blaine Perkins after 5 races, Carson Hocevar takes over for COTA

Carson Hocevar‘s NASCAR Xfinity Series début will come a month earlier than planned. On Tuesday, SS-Green Light Racing announced Hocevar will replace Blaine Perkins in the #07 Chevrolet Camaro for the Xfinity race at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday.

Perkins had joined SSGLR for his Xfinity rookie season, but sat thirty-fourth in points after the first five races—behind five drivers who are not running the full schedule—with a best finish of twenty-second at Atlanta.

With Perkins out, SSGLR turned to Hocevar, who is in his third season of Craftsman Truck Series competition for Niece Motorsports. After three races, he sits ninth in points. Both of his career Truck starts at COTA ended with top tens in seventh and eighth.

“Obviously we are disappointed with how the season has started, but after talking with Blaine and his group, we feel that it is in the best interest of all parties involved to mutually part ways, and work to build some momentum heading into the next few weeks,” said team owner Bobby Dotter. “We are extremely grateful for Carson, Al (Niece), and everyone involved in this decision, helping us move swiftly as the #07 team prepares for this weekend.”

Prior to the development, Hocevar was set to make his Xfinity début on a six-race schedule for Spire Motorsports, who is also new to the division, starting at Dover in April.

Hocevar tweeted, “Happy to fill in and help the fine people at SS Greenlight and thankful I got the call this afternoon to fill in and have the opportunity for more laps at COTA to be prepared for this weekend!”

The news means SSGLR will have a new driver duo for COTA as Aric Almirola replaces Gray Gaulding in the #08. Gaulding and Perkins were supposed to be the team’s full-time drivers for 2023 before the lineup change.