Latest news with #AutódromoHermanosRodríguez
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Fans React To Carson Hocevar's 'Classy' Announcement
NASCAR Fans React To Carson Hocevar's 'Classy' Announcement originally appeared on The Spun. Carson Hocevar has been dominating the headlines the past few days in the NASCAR world. It all started with his comments about Mexico during a since-deleted stream on Twitch. Advertisement Prior to last Sunday's race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the talented driver for Spire Motorsports referred to Mexico as a "s--hole." Fans were obviously upset with his remarks. Even though Hocevar apologized for his comments about Mexico, he was still disciplined by Spire Motorsports on Tuesday. Hocevar received a $50,000 fine for his remarks on Twitch. That money will be donated to three organizations that serve communities in Mexico. He'll also be tasked with completing cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training. Instead of complaining about this punishment, Hocevar took accountability for his actions. Advertisement "Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth. I said something that not only was wrong, I said it without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap in an actual race at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms and I go and say that? Thank you for the support but I'm not sure we're on the same page," Hocevar wrote on X. "You guys want me to be me? It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance. "I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn't meet the standard so I got what I deserved. I hate learning these lessons in the public eye and bringing any negative attention to Spire or me. We've been fast just about every week and I'm sure I have plenty of mistakes left in me. I appreciate growing up in front of all of you and you guys get to see the good and the bad. I'm just me. I'm trying. It just doesn't always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself. However, I love being in this garage, with this team surrounded by the best drivers and fans in the world. See you in Pocono." NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 17: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 NASCAR Day Giveathon Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2024 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by)NASCAR fans praised Hocevar for this statement. They found it to be very classy and mature. Advertisement "Everyone makes mistakes at times, life is about learning, owning up, and growing," one fan replied. "Go to Pocono and do your thing, your fans love you and appreciate you no matter what!" "Great job taking responsibility for your actions," a second fan said. "It takes a lot to do that. Hang in there kid." "Every driver should be as real as Carson is. The kid is making fans every day by being himself, owning his mistakes, and learning from them," another fan wrote. "You've truly gained a fan with how you've handled this. Very mature response from you," Advertisement Hocevar will try to win over fans this Sunday at Pocono Raceway. As of now, he's 21st in the Cup Series standings. Related: Bubba Wallace Shares Candid Thoughts on NASCAR's First Mexico City Race NASCAR Fans React To Carson Hocevar's 'Classy' Announcement first appeared on The Spun on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Turning Point: Is Chase Elliott the sleeping giant of 2025?
Here's what's happening in NASCAR with the Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the rearview and The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by at Pocono Raceway up next. RELATED: How to watch Sunday's race on Prime Video | See Pocono entry list 1. Is Chase Elliott the sleeping giant of 2025? Mired in a glaring winless stretch, Chase Elliott is still quietly riding a wave of steady momentum under the surface. With unmatched consistency and a playoff spot all but secured, No. 9 heads to Pocono needing just one spark to light the wick. If it comes, a beast may awaken. Advertisement Chase Elliott hasn't won a race in more than a year, and he hasn't come particularly close to doing it in 2025. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion just isn't finding the front of the field, leading in just a handful of races this year for a total of 95 laps and leaving the headline-grabbing trips to Victory Lane to names like Christopher Bell, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. But make no mistake: He's lurking. Quietly. Relentlessly. And if he turns up the wick before the playoffs hit, the rest of the field might not know what hit them. Elliott is doing something almost no one else in the Cup Series can claim: finishing races no matter what, no matter how. He's the only driver to place inside the top 20 in all 16 events this season, a feat of consistency he also managed last year and then some. He's completed all but one lap. He hasn't had a single meltdown, misstep, or mechanical disaster take him out of contention. His average finish — 11.19 — is third best in the series and on pace to be a career high. Advertisement Elliott and his longtime crew chief Alan Gustafson are just so in sync at this point that catastrophic days simply don't exist for the No. 9 team anymore. But here's where it gets complicated: The wins, along with the misses, have vanished. He's riding a 43-race winless streak dating back to April 2024, and we're not seeing him routinely battling for wins and settling for top fives like earlier in his career; he has just four such finishes this year, with Mexico (third) being his first in two months. For all the precision and polish, Elliott's recent results lack that killer edge we saw in the last generation of cars. He's remarkably and consistently good in the Next Gen — but he hasn't been great. Still, he's essentially a playoff lock. Sitting 146 points above the elimination line, his spot is nearly untouchable, though anything can happen over 10 races. But making the playoffs isn't enough — not for a 2020 champion; not for a guy who made his home in the Championship 4 for three straight years, not that long ago. Elliott's bar is higher, and the closer we get to the postseason, the more it feels like he's building toward something. And now? Pocono. A place where Elliott quietly actually does dominate in the Next Gen car — top 10 in every race since the debut, and more points earned there in it than anyone. Advertisement Even if it doesn't happen Sunday, Elliott has three road courses and his home track, EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), left before the playoffs. If he capitalizes on even one, the narrative around the No. 9 flips from 'steady but non-threatening' to 'surging and dangerous.' Just like nobody wanted to see Joey Logano sneak back into the Round of 8 last year after a penalty to the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slotted him in, none of Elliott's peers want to see him and the No. 9 group clicking off wins again, because everybody knows they're capable of doing so in bunches. Everything points to it happening, however. The Dawsonville, Georgia native has been progressively climbing the mountain while others flame out or feast on spurts of short-term momentum from wins before fading. He doesn't beat himself on the race track, and it feels like he's one moment away from reminding everyone of the dominance that takes place when this team is at full strength. Advertisement If the switch flips soon, it won't be subtle. It'll be a wake-up call (siren?) for the whole garage — loud, sudden … and felt all the way to Phoenix. jeff gordon talks with chase elliott at pocono 2. Will anyone escape playoff no-man's land at Pocono? The playoff bubble is bursting with pressure, and Pocono might be the release point. For winless drivers like Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace, this weekend isn't about survival or points racing — it's about breaking through before the window slams shut. In a NASCAR season that has felt, at times, a bit top-heavy with the superstars of the sport commanding dominion over Victory Lane, the real playoff chaos — as we saw in Mexico City — is going to come from the crowded underbelly of the standings. Advertisement With 10 races left before the field gets sliced to 16, the bubble isn't just bubbling — it's boiling. Three somewhat surprising names (Sunday's Mexico winner Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry) have already locked in with thrilling wins. The window to claim one's spot is shrinking, the pressure is rising and the next big shakeup may come from a winless driver, one of whom many expected to be locked up by now — or at least be in the running to defend his Regular Season Championship. The no-man's land of the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs picture is elbow-to-elbow, and the trick to getting out of the muck and the mire might come this weekend at Pocono. Start with Tyler Reddick, who has been much maligned for erratic finishes … but is also having the quietest elite season no one seems to be noticing. On the surface, his five top 10s in 16 races are not flashy, but he's second only to championship favorite William Byron in average running position, arguably a much better indicator than average race finish. He's clearly overdue, and he's a potential sniper for the Pocono win with four straight top 10s and two runner-ups in the last three. His average finish there since 2022? Best in the field, at a pristine 3.3. If the march to re-enter the RSC conversation is going to happen, it will start at Pocono. Advertisement Chris Buescher is in a similar boat, expected in pre-season chatter to be a more viable title contender this year than he's looked so far, but the gears are turning there. He'll certainly be in the mix at the remaining road courses as well, but in terms of this weekend, the former 'Tricky Triangle' winner is the only driver to finish top 10 at Pocono in each of the last two years, and he's still out-pacing his typical stats this season, with his eight 2025 top 10s being the most he's had through 16 races to date. He's clinging to the final playoff spot by just 19 points, but there's obviously something special about Pocono for him. It could all come together here. Reddick's teammate Bubba Wallace has looked like the better of the two at times this year, but — as he's shown over the years — brings a boom-or-bust profile. He's currently booming, however, following up three straight finishes of 33rd or worse with three straight of 12th or better and could stretch that into Pocono, where his three top 10s have all come in the past four races. If things go sideways late — and they often do — Wallace's top-ranked pit crew per NASCAR Insights could be the difference-maker. We just saw Alex Bowman, a former Pocono winner, snap a miserable run of bad luck at Mexico City in quite impressive fashion, and he has four top 10s in his last six Pocono starts. He's above the elimination line, but in absolutely no way is his position safe yet. Especially if someone like Erik Jones, with the speed Toyota is likely to have, sneaks up and shocks everybody. Outside the top 20 in points but still within striking distance of the postseason — again, no-man's land stretches far and wide — Jones has eight top 10s and five top fives in 13 starts at Pocono. And lately, he's trending up, with four top 15s in the last six races. If someone shocks the playoff picture this week, Jones has the resume to do it, but don't be surprised if any of these guys whittle out their playoff spot in Pennsylvania, because they're at a premium. cars race on track in mexico city 3. Why Stenhouse 'had every right' to be mad at Hocevar Steve Letarte and the crew discuss Carson Hocevar's incident with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and why the No. 77 sophomore driver still has much to learn at the Cup Series level. 4. Joe Gibbs Racing the clear team to beat at Pocono No organization has a better handle on the 'Tricky Triangle' than JGR's fleet of Toyotas, and they could be in position to strike once again Sunday. The championship organization leads in all the categories below since the start of 2017. (Credit: Racing Insights) Starts 52 Poles 5 Wins 7 Runner-ups 5 Top fives 23 Top 10s 35 Laps led 864 5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage Paint Scheme Preview: 2025 Pocono Raceway weekend Advertisement Mexico City triumph turns SVG's season around, shakes up playoff order Power Rankings: Blaney aiming to double-up at the 'Tricky Triangle' NASCAR Insights: Ty Gibbs' stats shine in Mexico City rundown Inside the Race: Letarte on Gibbs: 'Liked almost what I didn't hear' Inside the Race: Analyzing Shane van Gisbergen's 'book' on road courses In-Season Challenge: Seeding update after Mexico City Inside the Race: Why Stenhouse 'had every right' to be mad at Hocevar Stenhouse confronts Hocevar on pit road after Mexico City race @nascarcasm: Fake texts to Mexico City winner SVG
Forbes
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Spire Motorsports Fines Carson Hocevar Over Mexico Comments
Carson Hocevar (#77 Spire Motorsports Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet) waves to fans during the driver ... More introductiuons ceremony before the start of the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 race on June 8, 2025 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI.(Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Spire Motorsports on Tuesday issued a $50,000 fine to sophomore driver Carson Hocevar. Hocevar, 22, made controversial comments about the Nascar Cup Series' debut race in Mexico City before flying down to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. 'If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn't such a sh*thole, if the track limits were a little better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race, and it wasn't so easy to, or feel so locked down like you can't leave anywhere, it'd be a great experience,' Hocevar said during a Twitch livestream while he was competing in iRacing. Hocevar, who's taken Nascar by storm this year while competing for wins, apologized for his comments prior to the penalty. His comments have not warranted a penalty from Nascar itself. 'Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan," he tweeted on Monday. "When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway. "Count this as another lesson for me in a season I've learned so much. Don't believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it's me. I'm sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.' Hocevar's fine will be donated equally to three Mexican nonprofits, including Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross), Un Kilo de Ayuda, and Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico). It is rare for a Nascar team itself to fine a driver, rather than the sanctioning body itself. Hocevar will also complete a mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training. But Hocevar genuinely apologized – for the second time – after the team issued its public fine. Hocevar said: "I said something that not only was wrong, I said it without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap in an actual race at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms and I go and say that? Thank you for the support but I'm not sure we're on the same page. You guys want me to be me? "It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn't meet the standard so I got what I deserved. I hate learning these lessons in the public eye and bringing any negative attention to Spire or me. 'We've been fast just about every week and I'm sure I have plenty of mistakes left in me. I appreciate growing up in front of all of you and you guys get to see the good and the bad. I'm just me. I'm trying. It just doesn't always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself.' Hocevar is known on track for his aggressive driving style, unafraid to irritate his competitors. His tactics have gotten him in trouble as of late, including multiple altercations with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hocevar has led 70 laps this year and has a pair of runner-up finishes at Atlanta and Nasvhille. At Charlotte, in Nascar's longest race, he was in contention to win until an engine failure. After 16 races, Hocevar is 20th in the standings and is in contention to be the first Spire Motorsports driver to compete in the playoffs.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Driver Carson Hocevar Punished For Mexico City Comments
NASCAR Driver Carson Hocevar Punished For Mexico City Comments originally appeared on The Spun. NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar has dominated the headlines over the past few days because of his comments about Mexico City. Advertisement During a since-deleted stream on Twitch, the talented driver for Spire Motorsports called Mexico a "s--hole." This was before the Cup Series made its way over to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for this past Sunday's race. Shortly after receiving backlash for his behavior, Hocevar issued an apology to NASCAR fans around the world. "When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here," Hocevar wrote on X. "Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway. "Count this as another lesson for me in a season I've learned so much. Don't believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt it's me. I'm sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes." Despite this apology from Hocevar, he received a hefty punishment this Tuesday. NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 17: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 NASCAR Day Giveathon Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17, 2024 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by)For starters, Spire Motorsports has fined Hocevar $50,000 for his remarks. His money will be donated to three organizations that serve communities in Mexico. Additionally, he'll have to undergo cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training. Advertisement "These actions are consistent with Spire Motorsports' core value of RESPECT, which is something we proudly display on every race car, team uniform, trackside hauler, and digital channel," Spire Motorsports said in a statement. "Respect is not a slogan. It is a daily expectation that we 'walk the walk' in how we speak, compete, and serve the communities that welcome our sport. "Carson's recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard. They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR. Carson has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud." NASCAR fans have applauded Spire Motorsports for this decision. As for Hocevar, it's very clear that he knows he messed up. Now it's up to him to gain people's trust back. Related: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Critiques Carson Hocevar's Attitude and Performance NASCAR Driver Carson Hocevar Punished For Mexico City Comments first appeared on The Spun on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
NASCAR's Mexico City weekend was largely a success. Will it return in 2026?
MEXICO CITY — One of the main objectives behind bringing NASCAR's Cup Series to Mexico City, which on Sunday hosted the first premier series points race outside the United States since 1958, was introducing the sport to a culture unfamiliar with it. If expanding the fan base is the measuring stick to gauge whether the Mexico City race weekend is a success, then there's ample evidence that NASCAR accomplished it. Across the city, the fifth-largest in the world by population, advertisements promoting the race were everywhere, from billboards to the subway, and many fans expressed excitement about NASCAR racing within their city. Advertisement This enthusiasm was at its peak at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Fans loudly cheered the on-track action, particularly anything involving Daniel Suárez — a native of Monterrey, Mexico — whether it was a pass he made for position, or even when he was briefly shown on a video screen. When Suárez won Saturday's Xfinity Series race, the fans' roar drowned out the cars circling before them. But it wasn't only the native son who generated such a strong reaction, with many drivers finding themselves mobbed by fans when they walked through public areas. Beyond the anecdotal, there is hard data that supports NASCAR expanding into Mexico, something the sport's leadership has attempted for a while but wasn't able to make happen until this year. According to Ben Kennedy, NASCAR's executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovation officer, 90 percent of those who attended Sunday's race — won by Shane van Gisbergen — came from Mexico, and 44 percent of the crowd lived in Mexico City. 'Today wasn't just a race,' Kennedy said. 'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports' community. 'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times, and the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.' It stands to reason, then, that NASCAR would exercise the option it holds with Mexican promoter OCESA to return to race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez next year. Too much positive came out of NASCAR's foray south of the border, and NASCAR and its teams largely support having an international race on the Cup calendar. Still, while NASCAR usually doesn't leave a track after just a single year (of the new tracks added since 2021, only Road America exited after less than three years), the league has not yet committed to another go in Mexico City. Advertisement 'We're very hopeful to be back here in the future,' Kennedy said. NASCAR has numerous reasons to hedge, and there is no rush to make a call. As it does after every new race, NASCAR's decision-makers will convene to dissect the completed race weekend, what worked and what didn't, while also soliciting industry feedback, primarily from the teams and media partners. NASCAR's discussions with teams will carry significant weight in any decision. From conversations with numerous team leaders throughout the weekend, nearly every one of them sees the benefit in continuing to race internationally and thought the Mexico City race weekend went rather smoothly — once everyone reached the city. And it's this caveat that proved problematic. Hiccups in travel, most of which was coordinated by NASCAR, led to several individuals arriving late to Mexico City. Among them was van Gisbergen, who didn't make it until shortly before opening practice on Friday, along with several members of his Trackhouse Racing team, after their NASCAR-chartered plane was grounded with a mechanical issue. Should Mexico City find a spot on the 2026 schedule, the majority of the teams that spoke to The Athletic would prefer to handle coordinating their own travel itineraries, something they do for every other race weekend. 'We're going to do a postmortem on our side around the event; we're going to collaborate with the teams,' Kennedy said. '… We're going to get together and put our heads together. What works? What will we continue to replicate in the future and where? What changes would you like to see if we do come back? How do we make sure it's as efficient and as effective as we can? Part of that is probably logistics planning. Part of that is probably scheduled.' Then there is the issue of actually getting the equipment to Mexico City, a difficulty compounded by a grinding Cup schedule that sees teams race 37 times over a 38-week span. Almost immediately following the June 8 race in Brooklyn, Michigan, team haulers had to begin heading toward Mexico City, required to be at the United States-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, 24 hours later. The next day, they continued on to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. This coming weekend, NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 2,500 miles back the other direction. Advertisement Ideally, teams would like to see an off weekend either before or after any future Mexico City race. 'We can't do this — Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono, can't happen, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon said. 'We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us, and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.' NASCAR recognizes the burden placed on the teams, particularly hauler drivers. This was a big ask that required lots of buy-in. Kennedy, primarily NASCAR's chief schedule maker, acknowledged an off weekend would greatly help everyone. But also noted that it's not a straightforward decision given the complexity of putting together the schedule. 'Having it located adjacent to an off week would help quite a bit,' Kennedy said. 'From a travel perspective, the challenge is we don't have many off weeks. We have a couple off weeks, so we do have some options, and we are looking at those options ideally, if we do come back, it will be around an off week, but still have some work to do.' Logistic challenges aside, it's hard not to deem the inaugural race in Mexico City a success. And it's why the expectation within the garage is that NASCAR will again be racing there next year. For NASCAR to truly cash in on its sizable investment in this race, it would be a mistake not to build off the foothold that it has established over the past nine months since first announcing the race. The consensus is NASCAR needs at least one international race each season. And after the past week, Mexico City should be atop that list of options. 'For us, this is more of a strategic move as a sport to expand our footprint globally and internationally, and to a massive fan base,' Kennedy said. 'Just being in a country with 90 million people and over 20 million people in the larger Mexico City metro alone, that in and of itself is a success. That is success for us. Advertisement 'In my opinion, that carries a lot more weight than the economics or financials of the event. Sure, it's a variable we consider, but strategically, it's more important that we focus on those factors as we make those decisions.' (Top photo of race winner Shane van Gisbergen during Sunday's Cup Series race in Mexico City: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)
