Chad Knaus was spotted congratulating Carson Hocevar after his second place finish in Nashville – and it has sparked speculation that the youngster could be the man to replace Chase Elliott

Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Chad Knaus was seen congratulating Carson Hocevar for his runner-up finish in Nashville, sparking a frenzy on social media.

Hocevar, who has caused plenty of controversy with several incidents this season, earned commendations from Hendrick’s own Jeff Gordon during an interview on Amazon Prime Video at the Coca-Cola 600. The 22-year-old, who earlier revealed to Express U.S. Sports his secret sauce for fearlessness in the Cup Series, is currently ranked 17th after turning heads with his performances.

Speculation is rife that he might slide into the No. 48 car, once driven by Jimmie Johnson with Knaus as the crew chief, bagging seven Cup Series Championships. Yet, as whispers of Knaus’ interaction with Hocevar made rounds, some fans are betting he could take over Chase Elliott’s spot in the No. 9 car amid his frustrations so far this season.

READ MORE: Bubba Wallace breaks NASCAR ‘jinx’ and makes claim Michael Jordan will loveREAD MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr gives ‘selfish’ advice to Chase Elliott after NASCAR complaint

Despite Elliott’s winless streak this season and a 15th place finish in Nashville, his status seems solid as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver and fifth in points, but that hasn’t stopped fan theories online.

A fan posted: “Future driver of the 9 car. I’m calling it now,” while another clapped back: “Do you realize how much $ the 9 car makes them? No shot unless he wants out”.

One fan suggested: “Give him the 9 car” Another chimed in with their own thoughts on Reddit, stating: “Spire is HMS affiliated and Bowman’s getting replaced. That’s all it means,” to which another user replied: “This but Chase” and a reply read: “That would be one of the wildest driver replacement in history”.

Another fan noted: “As much as Chase has struggled, replacing him over Bowman (who I also don’t believe needs to be replaced) would be insane. Even if Chase isn’t winning regularly, a clear slump in his form still leaves him 5th in points”.

It was also pointed out: “Rick (Hendrick) has probably the best history in the sport of being loyal to drivers. Gave (Dale Earnhardt) Jr time to figure everything out and did everything in his power to help him. Let Byron develop instead of dumping him after a bad rookie season.

“Kept Kasey (Kahne) in the 5 for years when it was obvious he was a step behind his teammate the last few years. I think HMS even gave support to LFR when he went there.

“Rick knows guys take time to develop/slump occasionally, and he lets guys work through it instead of instantly replacing them. He’s super loyal to his drivers.”

As one commenter noted: “And like it’s been said, Chase’s ‘slump’ still has him top 5 in points for almost all of last season and all of this season so far. He literally just hasn’t won much.”

Despite no indication that Hocevar will replace Elliott in the No. 9 car, recent actions by Knaus and on-track performances have fans continuing to speculate about a possible driver switch during the upcoming silly season.

FOX produced its first million-plus audience average outside of the Indianapolis 500 and season opening race at St. Petersburg for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix won by Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood.

The 1,061,000 viewers who tuned in represent a 74.4-percent year-to-year increase over the 608,246 who watched Scott Dixon win in 2024 on NBC’s USA cable channel.

The broadcast peaked with 1,201,000 viewers from 2:30-2:45pm, according to FOX, and sits as the second-most watched Detroit GP since 1,399,000 saw Pato O’Ward win the second race of the doubleheader in 2021.

Averaged across the first seven races aired on FOX, 2,173,000 viewers have consumed IndyCar on its network, up 31 percent from 2024 when the blend of NBC network and USA cable broadcasts produced an average of 1,662,000 viewers.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Editor’s Note: Supporting logos and b-roll available for download here.

ICONIC TRACK RENAMED ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY

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HAMPTON, Ga. (June 3, 2025) – Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark Speedway.

Through a new partnership, the speedway – which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming June 28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart – will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States. EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. From restart zone signage to fan zone activations and race entitlements, the pre-owned car dealership chain has leveraged resources across nine Speedway Motorsports facilities nationwide to activate its brand and reach race fans and potential new customers. Acquiring the naming rights to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is the latest and biggest step in this strategy for EchoPark Automotive.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

EchoPark Automotive is seen as the number one pre-owned car buying experience, reflected in over 100,000 five-star reviews. Using this iconic sports venue, which is the largest in all of Georgia, will help EchoPark Automotive share the message of the brand to millions locally and nationally through major televised NASCAR events.

EchoPark Speedway’s entire 850-acre facility has undergone a massive facelift in preparation for its upcoming national debut as the opening race for the TNT portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule and the kickoff event for the new in-season Cup Series tournament. Fans will see the new EchoPark Speedway’s signature green color and the new track logo across track walls, Victory Lane, and throughout the concourse when they attend the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, or tune in nationally at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

The winner of the race will also receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcyle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle. These exclusive motorcycles can be pre-ordered now at SturgisHD.com, but the very first one of only 26 manufactured will go to the winner of the inaugural EchoPark Speedway race. This incredible prize will be presented to the winner in Victory Lane courtesy of EchoPark Automotive.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

EchoPark Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. The speedway hosted NASCAR’s season finale from 1987-2000, including the epic conclusion of the 1992 campaign which saw “The King,” Richard Petty, compete in his last NASCAR race; future legend Jeff Gordon make his first NASCAR Cup Series start; and Georgia’s own Bill Elliott win the race – narrowly losing the title to underdog owner-driver Alan Kulwicki.

Racing enthusiasts have long celebrated EchoPark Speedway’s high-speed, close-quarters racing action and exhilaratingly close finishes. Since its reconfiguration to a 28-degree banked, superspeedway-style track in 2021, that reputation has only been further bolstered. Three- and four-wide racing with abundant lead changes have become the norm when NASCAR visits Atlanta. In February 2024, EchoPark Speedway saw the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history with race winner Daniel Suárez eclipsing Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by just 0.003 and 0.007 seconds, respectively. Earlier this year, a new record was set for most lead changes at the speedway. This month’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is expected to continue that trend of thrilling NASCAR action in Atlanta.

EchoPark Speedway will host two NASCAR national touring series during the spectacular June 26-28 summer event. Schedules, tickets, and camping for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.

EPS PR

I can already hear Pat McAfee:

“John Cena goes under the ring… and pulls out… the Slim Jim table, brought to you by everyone’s favorite Meat Sticks and Jerky – try their new hot BBQ flavor now in convenience stores everywhere!”

In a you-can’t-make-it-up, and almost parody-like situation, AdWeek has announced that the WWE and Slim Jim have extended their 2023 partnership that will now see the famous beef jerky both as a center-ring logo sponsor, as well as be featured on all “wrestling folding tables” for its Monday Night Raw, SmackDown and NXT events. 

This is in addition to plenty of other sponsor logos and images around the once-fabled blue canvas wrestling ring, as the WWE continues to look more and more like a NASCAR driver’s race car every passing week. This has been the case ever since it’s new TKO partners took over majority control of the wrestling promotion as well as a massive Netflix deal that kicked off this past January.

“Extending our partnership during Monday Night RAW will give us even more opportunities to create unique and memorable experiences that tap into the rich history and energy of both Slim Jim and WWE,” said Ashley Spade, VP and GM of snacks at Conagra Brands. 

Oh, it’ll be memorable alright, but a quick look at social media says that’s for all the wrong reasons.

Listen, as a huge and lifelong WWE fan who has worked for some of the biggest WWE and wrestling-related media entities, this stinks as much as a Slim Jim left out in your car on a 100-degree day.

Sure, I understand that the promotion’s parent company TKO Group Holdings, is primarily driven by bringing in as much revenue as possible, but when it cheapens and compromises the actual wrestling event you’re watching, then that’s frustrating. 

Wrestling fans had better get ready for a ton of “table” matches in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised if a wrestling match didn’t have a table included in it. “The beautiful sport we all loved is gone,” wrote one person on X, with literally hundreds following suit.

WWE COMES ACROSS AS NASCAR

But hey, at least you’ll be able to drink Logan Paul’s PRIME Drink – which is plastered all over WWE arenas these days, to help you wash down those Slim Jims! 

As I previously wrote, the wrestling business and the WWE have changed tremendously in recent months, in large part due to Netflix as their Monday Night RAW program has fallen from over 5 million viewers to now anywhere from 2-3 million weekly in the United States. 

As the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase once said – “Everybody’s got a price!” 

But that doesn’t mean it’s not going to come across as cringe. 

THOUGHTS? COMMENTS? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow

By The Associated Press

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Firekeepers Casino 400

Site: Brooklyn, Michigan.

Track: Michigan International Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 9:30 a.m., qualifying, 10:40 a.m.; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (Prime Video and MAX).

Last year: Tyler Reddick held off William Byron to earn the win in double overtime, giving him his second victory of the season.

Last race: Ryan Blaney led a race-best 139 of 300 laps at Nashville, earning his first series win of the year and securing him a spot in the playoffs.

Next race: June 15, Mexico City.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Last race: Justin Allgaier took the his third series win of the season in Nashville while holding off a late surge from rookie teammate Connor Zilisch.

Next race: June 14, Mexico City.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

DQS Solutions & Staffing 200 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics

Site: Brooklyn, Michigan.

Track: Michigan International Speedway.

Race distance: 125 laps, 250 miles.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 1 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 8:05 a.m., race, Noon (FOX).

Last year: The last race which was held in 2020, was won by Zane Smith after a last-lap pass in double overtime.

Last race: Rajah Caruth broke a 31-race winless streak and earned his second career series win while leading the final 51 laps in Nashville.

Next race: June 20, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Oscar Piastri secured the victory and held off teammate Lando Norris in Spain to take back momentum after Norris’s previous win at Monaco.

Next race: June 15, Montreal.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Kyle Kirkwood surged ahead on a late restart to take his second win of the season.

Next race: June 15, Madison, Illinois.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Site: Bristol, Tennessee.

Track: Bristol Dragway.

Race distance: 1/4 mile.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 6 p.m., qualifying, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:30 p.m., qualifying, 3 p.m.; Sunday, race, Noon.

Next race: June 22, North Dinwiddie, Virginia.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

World of Outlaws Fendt Showdown

Site: Jackson, Minnesota.

Track: Jackson Motorplex.

World of Outlaws Badger State Triple

Site: Plymouth, Wisconsin.

Track: Plymouth Dirt Track.

World of Outlaws Jim “JB” Memorial

Site: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Track: Beaver Dam Raceway.

World of Outlaws Badger State Triple

Site: Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Track: Angell Park Speedway.

Next events: June 13-14, Knoxville, Iowa.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com

_____

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing