Motorsports

Young’s Motorsports Texas Motor Speedway Team Preview – Speedway Digest

No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team: Driver: Nathan Byrd Primary Partner(s): Champion Health Inc. Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST 2025 Driver Points Position: 26th 2025 Owner Points Position: 30th Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies Notes of Interest: ● Welcome Back: The 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series season returns to action this weekend following a one-week break, with Young’s […]

Published

1 month ago

May 3, 2025

Your Sports Nation

No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Nathan Byrd

Primary Partner(s): Champion Health Inc.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

2025 Driver Points Position: 26th

2025 Owner Points Position: 30th

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

● Welcome Back: The 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series season returns to action this weekend following a one-week break, with Young’s Motorsports proud to have rookie Nathan Byrd back behind the wheel of the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

● About Nathan: Byrd, 24, began racing go-karts in 2018, just after graduating High School, and he entered his first car race in February 2020.

Since then, the Goodyear, Ariz. native has raced over 30 types of cars in 348 total races at 67 different race tracks, effectively becoming one of the most diverse and interesting race car drivers in the world.

Completing more than 300 races in the first four years of his career, Byrd is no stranger to piloting race cars.

In 2024, the Indianapolis, Ind. resident turned his attention to NASCAR. He successfully made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Portland International Raceway and delivered a respectable 21st-place finish for DGM Racing.

In September, Byrd made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series debut at Kansas Speedway, earning a respectable 19th-place finish after starting 32nd.

● All-Aboard!: For the eighth of 25 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races this season, Champion Health Inc. will serve as the primary marketing partner for Friday night’s No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the 167-lap race.

Champion Health Inc. has built a foundation on two valuable principles: Honesty and Integrity. Our faith and values stem from the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.”

You can count on us to lead by example, be excellent stewards of your bottom line, and make your life less complicated. We are committed to giving you a first-class experience in everything that we do and providing exceptional and personalized service to each of our clients that is second to no one.

We understand the complexities of healthcare and its benefits. We constantly evaluate our solutions based on the current healthcare and benefits landscape, which keeps us focused on what new, innovative concept or product could be better for you.

By partnering with us, we will deliver a better benefits solution than you can get anywhere else.

● Nathan Byrd Truck Series Texas Motor Speedway Stats: Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway will mark Nathan Byrd’s first career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start in the “Lone Star State.”

The race continues the fast-paced opening stretch of the 2025 Truck Series season and will be part of a tripleheader weekend alongside the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series for the seventh time this year.

Kicking off the weekend, the Truck Series is expected to deliver its signature thrilling action under the lights in Fort Worth, Texas.

The excitement continues Saturday afternoon with the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ 200-lap Andy’s Frozen Custard 300, promising another edge-of-your-seat showdown.

The weekend will culminate on Sunday, May 4, with the NASCAR Cup Series taking center stage for the Würth 400.

Texas Motor Speedway serves as the site of the eighth race of an expanded 2025 Truck Series calendar, which has grown by two races compared to the 2024 season.

● Nathan Byrd Truck Series Career Stats: Entering Texas, Byrd has 10 career Truck Series starts with an improving average finish of 26.2.

The popular driver made his Truck Series debut for the family-owned team at Kansas Speedway in September, finishing an impressive 19th. He returned to the team in October at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway before drawing the curtain on the 2024 season by participating in the year’s final race at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

So far in 2025, Byrd has started the first seven Truck Series races at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and most recently at Rockingham (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

● Rockingham Speedway | Black’s Tire 200 Race Recap: In the seventh race of the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series season, Young’s Motorsports and rookie driver Nathan Byrd continued their commitment to development and race-day growth during the series’ return to Rockingham Speedway.

Byrd qualified his No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 28th, successfully securing a spot in the field based on qualifying speed for the seventh consecutive weekend.

Throughout the 200-lap race, Byrd impressed with his adaptability. Despite battling grip issues, the rookie adjusted to the changing track conditions and posted competitive lap times across the first two stages.

In the final stage, Byrd continued his march forward and managed the race’s fuel strategy challenges to bring home a strong 14th-place finish, marking his best result of the 2025 season.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway: This weekend will mark Young’s Motorsports’ 37th and 38th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway.

The organization posted a team-best finish at the track of fifth with Xfinity Series standout Austin Hill at the wheel in the 2018 edition of the JAG Metals 350 on Friday, November 2, 2018.

Since 2013, the Mooresville, N.C.-based Young’s Motorsports team has had an average starting position of 23.3 and an average finish of 21.1 in 36 Texas Motor Speedway starts overall.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series History: Since entering the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series in 2012, the Mooresville, N.C., – based organization has logged 516 starts from 70 drivers, resulting in solid performances that include two victories (Talladega Superspeedway 2019 and 2021), seven top-five finishes and 33 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 23.2 and an average finishing position of 22.2.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Nathan Byrd, please visit byrdracing.com, like him on Facebook (Nathan Byrd), and follow him on Instagram (@nathanjbyrd) and X |Twitter (@nathanjbyrd).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Nathan Byrd Pre-Race Quotes:

On Texas Motor Speedway: “I think Texas will be a very exciting race to run this weekend.

“I hear that it’s a treacherous race track, and it takes some confidence to run fast around there. I’m looking forward to challenging myself with another new and very fast track and building more confidence as a truck racer.”

On Texas Motor Speedway Preparation: “I’ve been watching every scrap of truck racing and onboard I can get my hands on and talking to the Young’s Motorsports team to fill in the gaps and give me things to think about while I study video.

“I’ve also hit the simulator to get a general feel and understanding of the track and its racing. However, the pace you can run on the sim isn’t super realistic, so I’m taking it with a grain of salt and cross-referencing it with the footage I can watch.”

On Goals at Texas Motor Speedway: “I think a top 20 finish this weekend would be a very satisfying finish that would reveal my continued improvement as a driver and a good, competitive truck from the team.

“If we can nail things and I excel at this track despite my lack of experience, it would be amazing if we were in the conversation for another top 15. One step at a time, though!”

On 2025 Season: “Out of 10, I would rate our season thus far as a 7/10.

“I’m happy with the progression I’ve made with the team’s hard work and support, and the 7/10 reflects the progress we continue to make and the struggles we’ve had thus far.”

On Rockingham Speedway Finish: “I think the top 15 at Rockingham was very important for my confidence as a driver and a strong declaration about the team’s hard work in bringing a super strong truck to the track.

“Despite the fact that there was a lot of attrition at Rockingham and trucks out of the race by the end, I think we still proved that the Byrdman | Young’s Motorsports combo was truly competitive and 100% a top 20-driver and truck combination, which has been my goal from the beginning of the year.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to make our package more and more competitive and to keep progressing in our pace and program.”

No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Stefan Parsons

Primary Partner(s): Trophy Tractor

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado RST

Crew Chief: Rodney Rood

Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

Notes of Interest:

● Glad to Have You Back: This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Young’s Motorsports welcomes Cornelius, N.C. native Stefan Parsons as the driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the second time in 2025.

Parsons returns to the organization for the first time since competing at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in March, where he qualified 22nd and earned a respectable 18th-place finish.

Prior to Homestead, Parsons previously competed for Young’s Motorsports during the 2023 season, making two starts, including races at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track in April.

Parsons is slated to run a limited NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series schedule for Young’s Motorsports throughout the 2025 season.

● About Stefan: Stefan Parsons, 26, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Parsons is one of the most well-known drivers in the NASCAR community. When he isn’t racing, he is always the first driver to volunteer his time working for teams on the side.

Often praised for his mentality of “doing whatever it takes” to earn a spot in NASCAR’s top ranks, his hard work and endless efforts translate to value for the marketing partners he aligns himself with.

Parsons is also the son of television analyst and former NASCAR driver Phil Parsons and the nephew of former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer Benny Parsons.

● All Board: Trophy Tractor will serve as the primary marketing partner of Parsons’ No. 20 Chevrolet RST for Friday night’s 167-lap race.

Trophy Tractor offers a cost-effective alternative to the purchase and rental of new equipment with quality, low-hour used equipment.

We specialize in the sale and rental of haul trucks, loaders, dozers, scrapers, excavators, compactors, graders, and water equipment. Trophy Tractor serves mines, quarries and contractors around the world.

We maintain a multi-million dollar inventory of new, low-hour, and reconditioned equipment.

Visit their website at http://www.trophytractor.com.

● Stefan Parsons Truck Series Texas Motor Speedway Track Stats: Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway will mark Stefan Parsons’ second career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series start in the “Lone Star State.”

Parsons earned a track-best ninth-place finish after starting 25th in the spring 2024 edition of the SpeedyCash.com 250 while driving for Henderson Motorsports.

Kicking off the weekend, the Truck Series is expected to deliver its signature thrilling action under the lights in Fort Worth, Texas.

The excitement continues Saturday afternoon with the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ 200-lap Andy’s Frozen Custard 300, promising another edge-of-your-seat showdown.

The weekend will culminate on Sunday, May 4, with the NASCAR Cup Series taking center stage for the Würth 400.

Texas Motor Speedway serves as the site of the eighth race of an expanded 2025 Truck Series calendar, which has grown by two races compared to the 2024 season.

● Stefan Parsons Truck Series Stats: From 2018 to 2025, Parsons has 23 starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, highlighted by a career-best sixth-place finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2024, driving the No. 75 Chevrolet Silverado for Henderson Motorsports.

In addition to Henderson Motorsports, Parsons also made Truck Series starts for MAKE Motorsports, CMI Motorsports, Glory 2 God (G2G) Racing, Premium Motorsports, and this weekend for Young’s Motorsports.

● Calling the Shots: Industry veteran Rodney Rood will guide Parsons as crew chief of the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado.

He will be the crew chief for his second NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series race on Friday night.

The organization posted a team-best finish at the track of fifth with Xfinity Series standout Austin Hill at the wheel in the 2018 edition of the JAG Metals 350 on Friday, November 2, 2018.

Since 2013, the Mooresville, N.C.-based Young’s Motorsports team has had an average starting position of 23.3 and an average finish of 21.1 in 36 Texas Motor Speedway starts overall.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Stefan Parsons, please visit stefanparsons.com, like him on Facebook (Stefan Parsons Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@stefan_parsons) and Twitter (@StefanParsons98).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Race Information:

The SpeedyCash.com 250 (167 laps | 250.5 miles) is the eighth of 25 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series races on the 2025 schedule. A 25-minute practice will occur on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 1:35 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 2:40 p.m. The field will take the green flag later that day, shortly after 7:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. ET), with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the NASCAR Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

Young’s Motorsports | NASCAR Xfinity Series

Texas Motor Speedway | Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

Fast Facts

No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Anthony Alfredo

Primary Partner(s): Young’s Building Systems | Randco Industries Inc.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Crew Chief: Andrew Abbott

2025 Driver Points Position: 23rd

2025 Owner Points Position: 24th

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing

Notes of Interest:

● Year Two, Full Throttle: In January, Young’s Motorsports announced that NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran Anthony Alfredo would compete full-time for the team in its second year of Xfinity Series competition.

Alfredo is driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for the entire 33-race schedule, which continues this Saturday afternoon with the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 2025 season marks Young’s Motorsports’ sophomore campaign in the series, following a promising debut year with rookie Leland Honeyman Jr. behind the wheel.

● About Anthony: A popular driver, Alfredo, a native of Ridgefield, Connecticut, joins Young’s Motorsports with an array of Motorsports experience, including starts in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, respectively.

The 2025 season will mark Alfredo’s fourth full-time Xfinity Series campaign, and he joins the Mooresville, N.C.-based team after spending the 2024 season with Our Motorsports.

The 25-year-old finished the 2024 Xfinity season 15th in the championship driver standings, collecting an Xfinity Dash 4 Cash win at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway and adding two more top-fives and seven top-10s to his impressive statistics in 129 career Xfinity Series starts.

● All-Aboard!: For the 12th of 33 Xfinity Series races this season, Young’s Motorsports welcomes back Young’s Motorsports welcomes back Texas-based Young’s Building Systems and Randco, who partner with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as the primary partners on the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for the 250-lap race on Saturday afternoon.

Since 1981, Young’s Building Systems has been providing West Texas with all their metal building needs. This family-owned and operated business has become an industry favorite due to the experience gained and the professional results completed. Young’s Building System is a division of Randco Industries, Inc. We have expanded into a company that has the ability to erect any type of building, from a small single story to a city high-rise.

Our customers have multiple uses for our buildings, including commercial, residential, agricultural, industrial, skid-mounted buildings and compressor station buildings.

We also have a team that specializes in stairs and railings of all shapes and sizes. Young’s Building Systems is fully insured for your peace of mind, so we carry workmen’s compensation and general liability coverage that goes above and beyond State requirements.

Our company is fully equipped with moving and lifting equipment along with compressors, generators and welding equipment. We have the tools and equipment needed to support large, demanding projects. Our work ethic is based on the principles of quality, promptness, and customer experience.

Young’s Building Systems continuously raises our standard of excellence and works hard to make sure that each and every one of your needs are met.

● Anthony Alfredo Xfinity Series Texas Motor Speedway Stats: Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 will mark Anthony Alfredo’s seventh career NASCAR Xfinity Series start in the “Lone Star State.”

In his previous six starts at the 1.5-mile Texas oval, Alfredo has recorded one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

His best result came during the fall 2020 edition of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250, where he powered from 18th to a career-best third-place finish while driving for Richard Childress Racing.

Overall, he holds a solid Xfinity Series average finish of 17.5 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Ridgefield, Connecticut native also brings NASCAR Cup Series experience to the incredibly fast Texas layout, having made one Cup start at the track, finishing 29th in the 2021 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 for Front Row Motorsports.

Now 11 races into the 2025 season with 22 races remaining, Alfredo and the Young’s Motorsports team are focused on making a push toward the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. A strong performance — or a breakthrough win — in Saturday’s race could be a pivotal moment in their postseason pursuit.

The Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 is part of a packed tripleheader weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

The action kicks off Friday, May 2, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250, followed by Saturday’s 200-lap Xfinity Series showdown.

The weekend wraps up on Sunday, May 4, with the NASCAR Cup Series taking center stage for the Würth 400.

● Anthony Alfredo Xfinity Series Career Stats: Entering Texas, Alfredo has 129 NASCAR Xfinity Series races to his credit, earning a career-best third-place finish twice, most recently at Talladega Superspeedway after starting 11th in the 2024 edition of the Ag-Pro 300 for Our Motorsports.

Since 2020, he has earned one pole, five top-five, and 23 top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 19.6.

● Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | Ag-Pro 300 Race Recap: The NASCAR Xfinity Series was part of a jam-packed superspeedway weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Known for their competitive pace on superspeedways, Young’s Motorsports entered the weekend with optimism, with Anthony Alfredo looking to build on his strong 19th-place starting position in the season’s

second Xfinity Series superspeedway race.

From the drop of the green flag, Alfredo showcased the potential of his No. 42 Dude Wipes Chevrolet Camaro, cleverly drafting toward the front of the field.

An unscheduled pit stop during Stage 1 set the team back, but not out. Alfredo capitalized on the free pass at the conclusion of the opening stage to rejoin the lead lap.

Running inside the top 15 throughout much of Stage 2 and Stage 3, a late-race restart provided Alfredo the opportunity to surge forward, ultimately capturing a sixth-place finish—his best Xfinity Series result of the 2025 season.

Talladega delivered Young’s Motorsports their best finish of the year and marked the team’s third consecutive top-15 finish, dating back to Bristol Motor Speedway in early April.

With 11 races now completed, the No. 42 team continues to build momentum and remains focused on further improvement as the season heads into its critical summer stretch. The group is determined to lower its current average finish of 23.0 and maintain its upward trajectory.

● Calling the Shots: Guiding Alfredo as crew chief of the No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is longtime crew chief Andrew Abbott.

On Saturday, he will be crew chief in his 142nd NASCAR Xfinity Series race. In his previous 141 races, he has four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

The season’s 12th race will be his eighth tango at Texas Motor Speedway as crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway: This weekend’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 will mark Young’s Motorsports’ second NASCAR Xfinity Series appearance at the highly fast Texas Motor Speedway.

Last spring, rookie Leland Honeyman Jr. finished 31st after starting 31st, completing all but two laps.

Beyond its growing Xfinity résumé, the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization brings a wealth of experience to Texas through its NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series program.

Since 2013, the Mooresville, N.C.-based Young’s Motorsports team has had an average starting position of 23.3 and an average finish of 21.1 in 36 Truck Series Texas Motor Speedway starts overall.

● Young’s Motorsports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series History: Since entering the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, the family-owned organization has logged 44 starts and maintains an average starting position of 26.5 and an average finish of 23.3.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Anthony Alfredo, please visit AnthonyAlfredo.com, like him on Facebook (Anthony Alfredo Racing), follow him on Instagram (@anthonyalfredo) and X | Twitter (@anthonyalfredo).

Anthony Alfredo Pre-Race Quotes:

On Texas Motor Speedway: “I enjoy racing at Texas Motor Speedway because it is a technical track and fits my driving style.

“Track position will be the name of the game this weekend. Starting towards the front and remaining there throughout the day will be critical.

“If we don’t have track position, an alternate strategy to get us in late in the race will be important.”

On Keys to Success at Texas Motor Speedway: “As with most tracks, it is difficult to pass, so track position will be key.

“We have been struggling with qualifying well and have some things to try in order to improve our starting position this weekend to help us be ahead at the start and execute throughout the day.”

On Goals for Texas Motor Speedway: “Another top 15 finish would be great for our team. We have a lot of momentum coming into this race, and I’m looking forward to performing at a high level.”

On Momentum from Talladega Superspeedway Finish: “I don’t want to be greedy because of how this season has started, but it was pretty gut-wrenching to be just a few inches from a top five.

“In all honesty, if we were able to race all the way back to the line, I felt like I put us in a perfect position to have a shot to win.

“It wasn’t in the cards and will gladly take our top 10 finish and head to Texas with a lot more confidence.”

On The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Season: “My goal this year with Young’s Motorsports is simple: to win a regular-season race and make the Playoffs.

“It’s certainly a tall order, but we can make it happen. We will build this program from the ground up and make that goal a reality.”

Race Information:

The Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (200 laps | 300 miles) is the 12th of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2025 schedule. A 25-minute practice will occur on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 4:05 – 5:00 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow at 5:10 p.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag on Saturday, May 3, shortly after 1:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. ET), with live coverage on The CW Network, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

Young’s Motorsports PR

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2025 NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400 betting, odds, predictions: 3 free NASCAR longshots at Michigan Speedway

Published

14 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday for the 2025 FireKeepers Casino 400, where three drivers have had a stranglehold at recent NASCAR at Michigan races. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano have won 10 of the last 14 races at the track. While Harvick is retired and Larson tops the 2025 FireKeepers Casino 400 odds at +525, Logano looms as one of the 2025 NASCAR at Michigan longshots at +1600. That’s despite leading for a Michigan-record 163 laps in his last victory at the track in 2019, and no active driver has more total laps led (590) at Michigan International Speedway. The NASCAR at Michigan 2025 green flag drops at 2 p.m. ET with hopes that the race also finishes on Sunday after rain forced Monday finishes each of the last two years.

Before entering any 2025 Michigan NASCAR picks, be sure to see the latest 2025 NASCAR at Michigan predictions from SportsLine’s proven projection model. Developed by SportsLine predictive data engineer Mike McClure, the proprietary NASCAR prediction model simulates every race 10,000 times and has nailed a whopping 21 winners since 2021, including three winners in 2025.

SportsLine simulated the NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400 10,000 times. Here are the three NASCAR longshots to target, according to the model:

Best NASCAR at Michigan longshots (odds subject to change):

Joey Logano (+1600)
Chase Elliott (+2000)
Carson Hocevar (+2000)

Joey Logano (+1600)

After securing his first win of the season last month at Texas, Logano has since rattled off three straight top 20s, including a fourth-place a week ago that is his second-best finish of 2025. He’s made 20 career starts at Michigan since joining Penske, and 15 of them, or 75%, resulted in top 10s. Both his total laps led (590) and his laps led percentage (11%) are tops amongst active drivers, as he has three Michigan victories to his name (2013, 2016, 2019). With his track success, as well as top 10s in three of his last four starts in 2025, Logano is a steal at +1600 and can be wagered on with the help of a DraftKings promo code.

Chase Elliott (+2000)

The 2020 Cup Series champion has displayed unparalleled consistency as he has 17 straight top 20s dating back to last season. He’s arguably the best driver yet to win at Michigan International Speedway as no active driver has more runners-up at the track than his three. By always being in contention for the checkered flag, it’s of little surprise that Elliott’s average finish (10.5) at Michigan is the best amongst active drivers and the third best all-time (min. 5 starts). Outside of a blown tire in 2023, Elliott has top 20s in all 13 of his other Michigan starts, top-15s in a dozen of those races, and top-10s in 10 of those starts.

Carson Hocevar (+2000)

Hocevar enters the FireKeepers Casino 400 on a high after a runner-up last week at Nashville. It ties his best finish on the Cup Series as he’ll make his second start at Michigan. Hocevar impressed as a rookie, placing 10th last year and leading for multiple laps late in the race. His Spire Motorsports teammate, Zane Smith, had a seventh-place finish as Spire has notched five top 20s over its last six driver starts at the track. Hocevar was born and raised in the state of Michigan, so this race means a little more to him than others. He’s great value at +2000, considering there are 10 other drivers with equal or shorter NASCAR odds, and the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code can help maximize this bet before his odds shorten.

More top NASCAR at Michigan expert picks, longshots revealed

You’ve seen the NASCAR longshots from the model. Now, see the full 2025 NASCAR Michigan leaderboard, including forecasts for who finishes first. Visit SportsLine to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that has nailed 21 winners, including Elliott’s victory at Bowman Gray, Larson’s win at Miami and Christopher Bell’s All-Star victory.

You can also view expert advice before locking in your NASCAR at Michigan picks. Visit SportsLine now to see expert Steven Taranto’s picks, including an epic longshot of over 75-1, all from an expert who has nailed 17 NASCAR winners.

Visit SportsLine now to see McClure’s top NASCAR DFS picks, all from the daily Fantasy professional who has won more than $2 million playing DFS.

2025 NASCAR Michigan odds, drivers, lineup

(odds subject to change)
Kyle Larson +525
Denny Hamlin +650
Ryan Blaney +650
William Byron +800
Tyler Reddick +850
Christopher Bell +1000
Ross Chastain +1400
Joey Logano +1600
Chase Elliott +2000
Chris Buescher +2000
Carson Hocevar +2000
Chase Briscoe +2200
Brad Keselowski +2500
Bubba Wallace +2500
Alex Bowman +2500
Josh Berry +3500
Kyle Busch +3500
Ty Gibbs +5000
Ryan Preece +6000
Austin Cindric +6000
Erik Jones +6000
Daniel Suarez +10000
AJ Allmendinger +10000
Michael McDowell +12500
Zane Smith +12500
Austin Dillon +15000
Noah Gragson +15000
John Hunter Nemechek +20000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +20000
Todd Gilliland +25000
Justin Haley +25000
Riley Herbst +50000
Shane Van Gisbergen +50000
Cole Custer +50000
Ty Dillon +100000
Cody Ware +100000

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Michigan mayhem: Truck battle ends in a triple overtime Stewart Friesen win

Entering this race in the middle of a three-year winless streak, Canadian driver Stewart Friesen was not originally in the conversation to claim victory at Michigan International Speedway. And yet, through a series of late-race crashes and overtime restarts, it was his No. 52 Toyota leading the way. After a debris caution set up a […]

Published

36 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

After a debris caution set up a five-lap dash to the checkered flag, Friesen was only running 19th on track. It turned out that he was exactly where he needed to be. As the front row struggled to get going on old tires while those behind them were shoving, absolute chaos broke out with Gio Ruggiero getting turned, hooking Ross Chastain. Several contenders were taken out including Corey Heim as trucks spun all over the track.

Corey Lajoie, who had just signed a deal to run nine of the final 13 races for Spire Motorsport, was now in control of the race as he hoped to secure his first win ever in one of the national levels of NASCAR. He was just one turn away from taking the white flag when a cut tire sent Daniel Hemric into the outside wall, pushing the race into double overtime.

This time, Grant Enfinger prevailed over LaJoie, but he didn’t make it to the white flag in time either as three trucks in the back wrecked down the backstretch. This was also the end of Carson Hocevar’s shot at the win as he got called for a restart violation, pulling out of line too early as he tried to move forward on fresh tires.

The remaining drivers managed to keep it clean for the third and final restart with Friesen taking the lead from Enfinger with an inside pass into Turn 3, holding on for the entire white flag lap to claim victory.

“I don’t even know what to say,” said Friesen, who now has four wins in the NASCAR Truck Series. “Thank you to all of our great sponsors. These badass race fans. I know there are a lot of Canadians, there are a lot of Americans. Everybody is having a good time together and that’s what it is all about, baby. Yeah!”

Enfinger finished second with pole-sitter Luke Fenhaus in third. Ben Rhodes and LaJoie rounded out the top five. Matt Crafton, Jake Garcia, Chandler Smith, Andres Perez, and Layne Riggs filled out the remainder of the top ten.

Frankie Muniz also survived the chaos mostly unscathed, bringing him a 14th-place finish — his best result since the season-opener at Daytona.

Race rundown

Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Heim won both Stage 1 and Stage 2 after working the draft perfectly with Hocevar. The race went 70 laps without a single natural yellow, but that all changed in the final stage.

Jack Wood spun into the outside wall for the first incident of the restart, which was promptly followed by a restart wreck involving Rajah Caruth. A handful of trucks opted to pit despite being just outside the fuel window. They were going to need help from some caution laps, which they were about to get.

A major incident on the subsequent restart involving Morgen Baird and Nathan Byrd actually damaged the outside wall. The leaders all came down pit road as they were now inside the full window, but the timing was going to put them all deep in the pack. The race was actually red-flagged to fix damage to the wall with safety crews working to repair a visible hole in the SAFER Barrier.

When things finally got rolling, Heim restarted 17th, Chastain 18th, Honeycutt 20th, and Hocevar outside the top 20. Enfinger was in control of the race for the restart to follow.

The drivers who pitted steadily marched forward, eventually catching Enfinger. A thrilling multi-truck battle for the lead broke out with Chastain and Hocevar actually making contact as they battled for the top spot. Chastain spun sideways but miraculously saved the truck while Hocevar suffered a flat left rear tire. A caution for debris (from Riggs) then set up the sprint to the finish and the aforementioned carnage that followed.

Photos from Michigan – Race

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Corey Heim, TRICON Garage Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ben Rhodes, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ty Majeski, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Daniel Hemric, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Toni Breidinger, TRICON Garage Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Rajah Caruth, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Toni Breidinger, TRICON Garage Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Andres Perez de Lara, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Corey Heim, TRICON Garage Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

General view

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ben Rhodes, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Corey Heim, TRICON Garage Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kaden Honeycut, 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

General view

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Luke Fenhaus, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Corey Heim, TRICON Garage Toyota, Connor Mosack, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Bayley Currey, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Bayley Currey, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, Tanner Gray, TRICON Garage Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ty Majeski, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Daniel Hemric, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ty Majeski, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ty Majeski, ThorSport Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, Corey Heim, TRICON Garage Toyota, Connor Mosack, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Stewart Friesen, Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Motorsports

Ryan Blaney Michigan Media Availability – Speedway Digest

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Knauf Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is coming off his first victory of the season last week at Nashville Superspeedway. Blaney stopped by the infield media center at Michigan International Speedway this morning to talk about that win and his hopes for making it two straight this weekend. RYAN BLANEY, […]

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38 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

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RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Knauf Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE ATMOSPHERE TO BE LIKE IN MEXICO NEXT WEEK? “I think the atmosphere is gonna be fantastic. Myself, Chase, Suarez and C Bell went down there a couple months ago and that was one of the biggest things I noticed about it was every single media member that was there at the press conference, all the fans walking around, they were very excited for us to come this summer, so that part of it I’m really looking forward to. They were very welcoming. You never really know what kind of welcome you’re gonna get when you go to a new place anywhere in general, so I think seeing their excitement really makes us feel good about the fact they’re excited for us to come down and put on a good show. I think it’s gonna be a great hit. I’m really excited to get there next week and it should be a fun one. It should be good.”

DO YOU THINK THE SIMULATOR HAS BEEN ACCURATE FOR THAT TRACK? “Yeah, I think it’s been pretty accurate. I was in it a couple weeks ago. I’ll go in it again this upcoming week and walking around it, when we went down there, they were tearing down stuff from a big music festival they did, but everyone showing us around the track and saying, ‘this is how we’re gonna kind of lay it out,’ and, honestly, they asked us about some wall placements and things like that. The four of us just talked it out and gave them some suggestions, but I feel like when I was in the sim it was pretty accurate to what they told me it’s gonna be, so that part is nice. You never fully know, but they just do the best job they can with the info they get and applying it to the sim, so I feel like it’s gonna be pretty accurate. We’ll find out when we get there, but I think it’s gonna be pretty close.”

HOW WILL THE COURSE RACE? “I think it will race really well, honestly. I think there’s a lot of passing zones obviously into turn one. Down the long frontstretch is gonna be one. Into turn four. There’s like a flowy esses section that I don’t know if you’ll see a lot of passing there, just as a normal ess carrying speed, but then there’s another braking zone into the stadium, that right-hander that I think you’re gonna see some moves, and then in the stadium there’s a really, really tight left-hander. It’s super tight and it requires a big arc to run it properly, but you’re gonna have guys kind of short cut it and dive in there, almost like the new Roval turn. It’s kind of set up like that with that angle to me, where you saw a lot of guys short it and send it in there, so there’s at least four and then we always find funky ones through there to try to catch people by surprise, so I think it’s gonna race very well. I like the track layout. I think they did a really good job on it. It has all different aspects from high-speed straightaways, really heavy braking zones, flowy sections, and then like your really slow stadium section. I think it has all pieces of road courses that we run are kind of mashed into one, so I think it looks like a great racetrack.”

IS IT DIFFERENT NOW PREPARING FOR TRACKS LIKE MICHIGAN AND POCONO SINCE YOU ONLY GO THERE ONCE A YEAR AS OPPOSED TO BEFORE? “For me, it’s business as usual preparing for every week. You might not have a race or two more that you kind of used to get a couple shots at Pocono and a couple shots here at Michigan, like you said, and now it’s one, so the data you get when we go to Pocono in a couple weeks is gonna be pretty important because you get one shot at everyone, but we take pieces from everywhere and apply them the best that we can. Do I wish we went to Pocono twice and Michigan twice? I could go either way. I like both of them a lot. I personally thought the doubleheader weekend we had one year at Pocono was really good. I really liked it. It was a little bit shorter race, but you get two Cup races and I think they filled it up with Xfinity and Trucks and possibly even ARCA that weekend, so you could see five races. That’s just part of it. You plan as best you can and you gather intel the best you can for when you go to places that are fairly similar.”

HOW HAS THE STRATEGY CHANGED FOR YOU GUYS AFTER THE WIN? “It’s really nothing different. We approach every week trying to win the race and no matter what spot you’re in, whether you’re not locked in on wins or you are. We did a great job last week of finally closing one out and you just try to do it again. A lot of people talk about that. Is there a mindset change when you win and you get locked in? I’ve never really believed that. I’ve always, to me at least and our group, it’s just we prepare every week like you’re trying to win the race, whether you’ve won one, zero or five it’s the same thing. And I don’t think you lay up anymore if you don’t have a win or you have a win or you don’t get more aggressive in these situations, unless it’s like down to maybe a couple races at the end and you have to win to get in – maybe you change some stuff up – but our group we’ve just always kind of tried to be as consistent as we can and try to do the best thing for our team and make the best decisions at the time no matter what spot you’re in.”

IS THERE ANY OTHER TRACK YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE NASCAR RACE ON? “I applaud NASCAR for getting bold and going to some places new, like trying the street course at Chicago, wanting to go international with Mexico. I was a big advocate for pushing like, ‘we’ve got to get international somewhere.’ Whether that was Mexico, Canada, wherever we could go. Where else would I like to see them go? I don’t know. They’ve proven that they can kind of do it anywhere if you put the resources and the time in it. You can make a street course. You can go to different road courses that are already existing. Maybe even some tracks that we used to go to that we don’t go to anymore like a Chicago – the Joliet racetrack. My name is in the bucket for that. I’d like to see that come back because I think it would be a great racetrack. It always was. They are God. They can choose where they go. They set the schedule. They can work with these cities and things like that to figure out where can we bring our show pretty much to a city near you. I think they can do it. I don’t know all of the technical insights. I’m sure it’s hell. I just go where they tell me to go and I race, but I’d love to personally, if we’re naming places, I’d love to see Joliet come back.”

IF YOU COULD STEAL A STAGE WIN AND GET THOSE PLAYOFF POINTS, ARE YOU FLEXIBILE ENOUGH TO DO THAT WITH YOUR SITUATION? “Yeah, it’s all situational. We’ve done that before in a spot that we’ve already won a race or not, and it kind of depends. We’ve always looked at it as, ‘OK, if you’re running 15th and it’s funky caution to where it’s gonna be a few laps to the end can you get the lead and can you get a stage point? You’re gonna start in the back, but I don’t know if we have a car to win, so let’s get all we can and get 10 points and get a playoff point.’ Or on the other side of that, if you think your car can win the race and you get one of those, maybe you just want to keep track position and cycle back to the lead after the caution. In the talks Jonathan and I have always had we talk extensively about the spot we’re in and do we think we can win the race or not, and that really weighs a big factor in it and your decision-making because sometimes you don’t want to get buried if you think you have the best car out there. Maybe you do flip the stage, but if you think the best you’re gonna do is 10th all day, ‘hey, maybe let’s grab all the points we can if that opportunity comes up.’ So, it’s a lot of situational things that he and I try to prepare for and make calls about in the moment.”

IS THERE A SENSE OF RELIEF AFTER WINNING LAST WEEK? “I think it was more of a weight off our shoulders just because we’ve been so good this year and feel like we just haven’t been able to get anything going our way. I feel like we’ve been in contention to win a few of them and a few of those that we thought we could be in contention to win we didn’t even finish, so I feel like that was a huge relief of like, ‘Man, we finally got over this hurdle of our cars are really good.’ It was nice to just finally put a whole night together. Nothing silly happened. It just played out normally and the fastest car won the race and we just happened to be that car, so I think just the ups and downs of the year that we had, it was definitely a huge sense of relief and my guys deserved it. I was happy for my guys because they didn’t change their attitude one bit through the down times of the year. They’ve just always prepared every single week like the people that they are and knowing that we can go win the race any week, so that was nice that it was like, ‘Alright, finally nothing happened.’ We did our job great. Nothing silly played out and we were able to bring it home, so that part was nice I think mainly for that reason – because of all the ups and downs that we’ve had throughout the year.”

IN YOUR MIND WHAT IS THE LINE BETWEEN AGGRESSIVE, CLEAN DRIVING AND RECKLESS DRIVING. AND DO YOU THINK THE ATTENTION HOCEVAR HAS BEEN GETTING IS GOOD FOR THE SPORT? “Everyone’s line is different. I can’t really speak for anybody else. My father raised me. He raced for a long time, so I had that going for me that he was able to teach me the do’s and don’ts. I’ve been chewed out a lot when I was younger for doing the wrong thing – at being overly aggressive and costing somebody else. My dad chewed my ass out when I did that. I did it a few times in late models when I was like 13 and he said it right. He set the line. He said, ‘This is wrong. You do not race this way. This is just how it is.’ It was one of those situations where I’m racing someone hard and I made a mistake. I slipped up and I spun him out. It wasn’t intentional, but even those mistakes dad would really make me clean up right away. That’s just how his dad raised him. I guess in my mind, hard racing is fantastic. Everyone races hard. Contact is going to happen. I think it’s an issue if it happens repetitively, like a lot. I think that’s when it starts becoming an issue. It’s like, ‘Do you learn from your mistakes?’ You can say you’re sorry all you want, but if you don’t learn from them and make a change, then everyone thinks you’re lying and you don’t feel sorry about that. Two guys are racing and they’re bumping and whatever, but, to me, over the line is if you get run over in the rear bumper and you get spun out and wrecked, then you have a brake pedal. You ran into that guy. I’ve read some stuff this week and people are like, ‘Well, Stenhouse could have cut him a break.’ I’m like, ‘How can Stenhouse cut him a break?’ I don’t understand. I think the 77 could have cut him a break if you’re gonna talk about breaks. I don’t even think that situation was cutting somebody a break. That was just getting run over, so, hey, he’s a young guy. All of us have been young. We’ve all been aggressive. Everyone has a heavy right foot when they get going and that’s good. I think he’s a very, very talented race car driver. He’s one of the best guys out there. It’s hard to teach speed. I think he just has to refine a little bit of what he does. I don’t think he has to change who he is because this is what got him here, but I think he’s got to possibly think of some situations that he’s been in and just try to learn from them. That’s really all you can do, so I don’t really critique anybody. I’m not critiquing him at all. That’s just my stance on it is when guys keep spinning off the front of your bumper that becomes an issue. I’m not a huge fan of that. I’ve been a part of it. I got turned at Atlanta getting run into from behind. It’s like, ‘How many times are you gonna keep doing this until you learn?’ So, we’ll see.”

THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT IS GOING TO START SOON. DO YOU THINK GUYS WILL PAY ATTENTION TO THAT ONCE IT STARTS AND COULD IT DEVELOP INTO SOMETHING MORE? “It could. It definitely could. I think it’s a unique thing to have in the middle of the year. It’s definitely gonna be something on people’s minds starting this week. The qualifiers are this week and it goes for three weeks, and then we get going. I think it’s in the back of people’s minds. I wasn’t sitting around this week like, ‘It’s in-season tournament time.’ You just try to run the best you can and then when I think you get into that five-week stretch of the tournament, you’re gonna be aware of who you’re racing like, ‘Who am I up against this week?’ You’re definitely gonna be aware of that because there is a lot of money and pride if you win the thing. It’s like a five-week All-Star Race, so you’re always gonna be thinking about that. You could go the easy route and say, ‘If I just win all five races, I’m gonna beat everybody and win the deal.’ I guess that’s a mindset you can have for sure, but you’re gonna have teams thinking about it in the back of their head. Are they gonna jeopardize their race because of that? No, I don’t think so, but it’s definitely something we’re gonna think about through those five weeks and honestly these next three of seeding yourself. It’s like the March Madness bracket. You want to do well to seed yourself against an easier opponent, but it could be big. It could grow. I think it’s a great idea. Why not try it? You’re still gonna have racing, it’s just gonna be a race within the race between all the guys.”

YOU COULD SEE UPSETS AND HAVE LOWER SEEDS GO THROUGH. “You have that all the time. The first one is in Atlanta, so you’re gonna see some upsets there. You could see some big upsets. They knew what they were doing. And then Chicago, so you could see some big upsets in the first couple. I think that makes for drama and it makes for that, so you could see the Cinderella March Madness moments. That’s what we all grew up watching and you’re gonna have it here.”

THE SCHEDULE IS PRETTY DIVERSE THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. DO YOU LIKE THE DIVERSITY? “Yeah, I like it. It’s part of the schedule. You look at every week and understand that you’ve got some things coming up. I think the road courses are gonna be big. It’s gonna tell you a huge tale of where you’re sitting and you better be ready because there’s a lot of them coming up from road courses and street courses and things like that. We’ve only had one road course to start the year. What have teams learned from COTA and how are they gonna be better at Mexico and Chicago and Sonoma? You have a big variation of them, so it’s a fun part of the schedule where you’re going to very different places each week, and I think teams really enjoy that – at least I enjoy it because it really switches it up and keeps it fresh. It can also be frustrating if you’re not very good at those places. You could have a stretch of some bad weeks. Hopefully, we’re not on that boat, but I like this part of the schedule. There’s a lot of different things going on this summer.”

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Feud over? Carson Hocevar claims “productive” talks with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

At Nashville, Carson Hocevar’s runner-up finish was overshadowed by a run-in with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., where contact from Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning into the outside wall. The wreck was race-ending and Stenhouse has now fallen below the playoff cut-off line as a result. Stenhouse indicated that payback was on the table immediately after the wreck, […]

Published

60 minutes ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Stenhouse indicated that payback was on the table immediately after the wreck, but things have since simmered down after discussions between the two drivers. In a Saturday press conference at Michigan, Hocevar said he doesn’t expect any further escalation.

“Yeah, I mean it was productive,” said Hocevar about talks with Stenhouse. “You know, me and him both have the reputation, I guess, of being aggressive at times and everything. So at that one point, we both reminded each other that even with those reputations, we’ve raced each other very well together, right? It clashes together. So, yeah, I mean we’ve had no issues before, as he had said, and I feel like we’ve had a decent relationship leading up to this.

“I thought it was productive and, based off his comments, I felt like it was received (as) productive.”

Talking it out

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Sean Gardner / Getty Images

It’s fair to say that Hocevar has angered several drivers this year with his aggressive style, and this week, he admitted that he needs to “round the edges off” a little bit. Asked if it was hard to call a competitor after a situation like this, Hocevar really didn’t think so.

“I mean, no, it’s not, at least it wasn’t when me and him [Stenhouse] talked,” said Hocevar. “He owns a sprint car team, so he’s one of the first drivers I’ll go talk to just because I want to ask him about his sprint car team. So, you know, we’ve had that relationship, right? So, I mean, it’s not too hard to call. You just pick up the phone and call.

“I don’t get nervous a whole lot or awkward. Sometimes I am awkward, but I don’t get nervous or anything before those calls, especially when I feel like it’s warranted. You see these guys 38 weekends, so it’s either you call them or you see them here. It’s probably just easier if you just move that timeline up. That’s really the biggest thing.”

Where is the line between aggressive and reckless?

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Jonathan Bachman – Getty Images

Hocevar has also gotten in trouble in the past for intentionally wrecking rivals, especially in the lower divisions — but also in the Cup Series after a run-in with Harrison Burton last year. The 22-year-old agrees that there is a line between aggressive and reckless, drawing it at “blatantly intentional versus just racing” incidents.

“Obviously, we make a thousand decisions a race, right? And sometimes the only decisions you see, especially when you’re not leading, in front or on TV, the only decisions you see is the bad ones because that causes a yellow and that raises a lot of tension,” said Hocevar. “So, I think every race car driver kind of realizes that at times. Intensity will just pick up, especially with how hard it is to pass or whatever. The intensity just starts picking up at certain tracks. I think everybody can see the line, especially depending on how the race goes. That kind of dictates how aggressive everybody’s being, and that’s sometimes when you start seeing mistakes or, you know, too much aggression.”

“It’s cool to just be talked about”

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

James Gilbert / Getty Images

And while it’s not all positive, Hocevar certainly doesn’t mind being in the spotlight either. “Number one, it’s cool to just be talked about,” he said. “Obviously, you want to be talked about maybe in a different light. But I mean, at least they’re talking, right? And I think that’s big for me. And, you know, you consume it — you see it all. As Jeff Dickerson [Spire Motorsports team co-owner] had mentioned before, he’s like, we’re trying to like round the edges. And then you have your heroes texting you, just don’t change, right? He’s like, hold on, hold on — we need at least something a little different.

“But yes, I mean, ultimately, it’s fun to obviously be in the news. I mean, it’s what I’ve dreamt of my whole life, which is just at least being a topic of conversation. Yes, I mean, it’s cool from that aspect. But you know, obviously, you want to be it when you just dominate a Cup race, and they can’t stop talking about it. That’s probably ultimately the next goal. But, you know, it’s definitely fun to at least see it all or just see my face everywhere.”

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NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson uninjured after violent crash in World of Outlaws sprint car race

Getty Images NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson was uninjured in a violent crash during a World of Outlaws sprint car race at Plymouth Dirt Track, in which he flipped into the turn 1 catchfence before coming to an abrupt stop on his side. Larson, the 2021 Cup champion, was competing in the World of […]

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1 hour ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson was uninjured in a violent crash during a World of Outlaws sprint car race at Plymouth Dirt Track, in which he flipped into the turn 1 catchfence before coming to an abrupt stop on his side. Larson, the 2021 Cup champion, was competing in the World of Outlaws ahead of this weekend’s Cup race at Michigan.

Larson was running second in Friday night’s feature when the axle on his car broke entering turn 1, shearing the wheel off the right rear of his car and sending it into a series of flips at high speed. Larson’s car ended up being launched into the turn 1 catchfence, which caught the car and sent it back to the ground, where it came to rest on its side.

The crash came just seven laps into the race, which was won by Rico Abreu after a late race duel with Buddy Kofoid.

“I think the right rear axle or something broke,” Larson said afterwards, per ESPN. “Just kind of launched me and (I was) along for the ride. Bummer. I felt really good pacing Rico there and just finally catching traffic and, you know, get racing there, but wasn’t going to happen. So, glad I’m okay. Big hits, but all in all feel fine.”

Larson showed no ill effects from his spill at Plymouth in Cup practice and qualifying on Saturday; he qualified fifth for Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway. Larson has won at Michigan three times, including his very first Cup win back in 2016.

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Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR in lawsuit filed by Jordan-owned 23XI and Front Row

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit. “That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a day ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. “I’m not deterred at all. We’re in good shape.”

Hamlin said Jordan feels the same way.

“He just remains very confident, just like I do,” Hamiln said.

NASCAR has not commented on the latest ruling.

23XI and Front Row sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. They asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday ruled in NASCAR’s favor.

“We’re looking at all options right now,” Hamlin said.

The teams, each winless this year, said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.

Hamlin insisted he’s not worried about losing drivers because of the uncertainty.

“I’m not focused on that particularly right this second,” he said.

Reddick, who was last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title in November, enters the race Sunday at Michigan ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings.

The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates.

The six teams may have to compete as “open” cars and would have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and would receive a fraction of the money.

Without a charter, Hamlin said it would cost the teams “tens of millions,” to run three cars.

“We’re committed to run this season open if we have to,” he said. “We’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul and we’re confident of that.”

The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.

NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field.

“We feel like facts were on our side,” Hamlin said. “I think if you listen to the judges, even they mentioned that we might be in pretty good shape.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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