Carson Hocevar delivered a moment he will never forget Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, earning his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in dramatic fashion during the Jack Link’s 500.

The 23-year-old Michigan native celebrated in unforgettable style, sitting on the window ledge of his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet as he cruised around the 2.66-mile superspeedway. The crowd roared as Hocevar soaked in the moment after edging Chris Buescher by just 0.114 seconds at the finish line.

“This is the biggest dream I’ve ever thought of,” Hocevar said. “I’m just so thankful. Hopefully my grandfather is watching. My grandmother passed last year, and I’m glad I can give my grandfather a trophy now.”

The win marks the second first-time Cup Series winner in the last three races, joining Ty Gibbs, who won at Bristol earlier this month.

Hocevar proved himself in the closing laps, leading 19 of the final 37 laps and surviving three late-race restarts in typical Talladega chaos. His aggressive driving style has drawn criticism in the past, but on Sunday, it paid off.

“He deserved it for sure,” said Alex Bowman, who finished third. “This is a perfect place for him to get it.”

Buescher came up just short of the win but praised the race. “That was a fun race all the way until the end,” he said. “Man, it was close.”

Chase Elliott finished fourth, while Zane Smith rounded out the top five with an impressive run that included the fastest lap of the race.

The race featured constant action, with 52 lead changes among 16 drivers. Christopher Bell led a race-high 31 laps but finished 17th.

A massive turning point came on Lap 115 when a 26-car crash wiped out half the field. Contact between Bubba Wallaceand Ross Chastain triggered the incident, collecting several top contenders including Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.

“It’s just what this type of racing is,” Blaney said. “We’re all bumping and banging, and eventually someone gets turned.”

Championship leader Tyler Reddick was also caught in the crash but managed to recover for a 14th-place finish. He maintains a strong points lead, now 110 ahead of Denny Hamlin.

The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Texas Motor Speedway for next weekend’s Würth 400, where Logano is the defending winner.