Motorsports

Carson Hocevar discussed mistake with Ryan Preece after Texas race – Speedway Digest

Carson Hocevar acknowledged on Saturday that the wreck that cost him dearly in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was the result of a miscalculation on his part. On Lap 237, Hocevar ran Ryan Preece into the outside wall off Turn 2 in a crash that also collected Cody Ware. Preece […]

Published

4 weeks ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Carson Hocevar acknowledged on Saturday that the wreck that cost him dearly in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was the result of a miscalculation on his part.

On Lap 237, Hocevar ran Ryan Preece into the outside wall off Turn 2 in a crash that also collected Cody Ware. Preece fell out of the race in 29th place. Hocevar was able to continue and finished 24th.

The driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet discussed the incident with Preece earlier this week

“I thought it was very productive,” Hocevar said. “I thought he heard my point of view, and I heard his, right? I think we have a really good understanding to go forward. I just kind of explained my positioning of it.

“I (had) just passed the 17 (Chris Buescher) and I really didn’t expect the 60 (Preece) to be a factor in the equation. I started unwinding the wheel to get out of (Todd Gilliland’s) wake and try to be on offense. I found myself on defense, in the wake; crossing… and now (Preece is) on my door. It just shocked me.

“I just explained that I wasn’t trying to put him in a bad spot and be aggressive. I tried to unwind the wheel and track out to the wall, and I didn’t expect a car to be there. That’s on me for not predicting it and not expecting it.”

A day earlier, Hocevar had earned the first Cup Series pole position of his career. He led the first 22 laps and finished sixth in each of the first two stages.

The end result, however, was a learning experience.

“I wasn’t looking in my mirror when I felt like I should have been,” Hocevar said. “Knowing if you were to rewind the clock, if I knew the result, I would do something different. But at the time, I felt like I knew the situation, and I would probably do the same thing again.

“But knowing the result, (if) I get in that spot again, you’re going to be more cognizant and aware of that.”

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Motorsports

Ryan Blaney reveals what’s in his NASCAR driver code of conduct

Inside the car, Ryan Blaney is an outspoken driver who often lets his rivals know when they’ve annoyed him. And as a veteran of over 350 Cup races with 14 wins (including last weekend at Nashville), he has plenty of thoughts regarding how he wants to be raced and how he chooses to race others. […]

Published

12 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

While this unwritten driver code of conduct varies throughout the field, Blaney helped create his with guidance from his father Dave, who started 473 Cup races in his own career.

The dos and the don’ts of racing in NASCAR

Three-wide battle for the race lead with William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, and Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“Everyone’s line is different,” said Blaney is a Saturday press conference. “I can’t really speak for anybody else. My father [Dave] 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.”

Blaney is also a driver who welcomes “hard racing” on the track, accepting that contact is a byproduct of that. Especially in modern NASCAR, where passing is extremely difficult and the field is so close together.

Learning from your mistakes

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

David Jensen / Getty Images

“Everyone races hard (and) contact is going to happen,” said Blaney. “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.”

As for where the line is, Blaney drew it right about where Carson Hocevar hit Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Nashville. Blaney himself had an issue with Hocevar at Atlanta after getting run into from behind while entering Turn 1.

“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 [Hocevar] 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.”

Blaney did praise Hocevar as a natural talent who knows how to go fast, but he wants to see him learn and grow from these recent moments.

“All of us have been young,” continued Blaney. “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.”

Hocevar and Stenhouse did talk this week, and according to the driver of the No. 77, they may have buried the hatchet in their short-lived feud.

Photos from Michigan – Practice & Qualifying

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Austin Cindric, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Motorsports

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

13 minutes ago

June 8, 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.”

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

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Motorsports

Video: 12 drivers crash in frenzied NASCAR Truck restart melee at Michigan

With just five laps to go in the scheduled distance for Saturday’s NASCAR Truck race at Michigan, 18-year-old rookie Gio Ruggiero and NASCAR Cup star Ross Chastain lined up on the front row for a mad dash to the finish. Unfortunately for them, neither driver would be part of that fight to the checkered flag. […]

Published

29 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Unfortunately for them, neither driver would be part of that fight to the checkered flag. Staying out on old tires with anxious drivers behind them, the pushes from trucks behind came early in the restart zone as Ruggiero tried to wait to accelerate for as long as he could, aiming to shorten the run down into Turn 1.

Leaving the restart zone, tires had already started spinning and trucks began to turn sideways, with Chastain saving his — only to be hooked by Ruggiero as he got turned down the track. 12 trucks were involved in the crash that followed, with Corey LaJoie moving from fifth to first in the chaos.

Chastain’s truck was destroyed, as was the truck of championship leader Corey Heim. Along with them and Ruggiero, the following drivers were listed as being involved in the incident: Jake Garcia, Tanner Gray, Daniel Hemric, Dawson Sutton, Frankie Muniz, Chandler Smith, Andres Perez De Lara, Connor Mosack, and Ben Rhodes.

What happened?

Ross Chastain, Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

After the race, Ruggiero still wasn’t sure what happened. “Yeah, I don’t know. Have to watch the replay. Haven’t seen it yet, looked at it, (nor) talked about it as a team yet, said the rookie driver for TRICON. “Yeah, it’s unfortunate. We had a really good truck and not sure what happened there. Just felt like I wasn’t ready to go yet. I was right at the start of the restart zone. Just have to look at the replay to see what happened there.”

Heim was directly behind Ruggiero and was trying to push his teammate. On the radio, he seemed frustrated by the teenager’s decision to wait so long in the restart zone.

“Myself and the No. 17 [Ruggiero] just didn’t link up the way we wanted to, and it went down from there,” he said after the race, barely touching on it. “Definitely had the truck to beat today. Just didn’t work out.”

Chastain spoke with FOX Sport’s Bob Pockrass outside the infield care center, saying: “The push came really hard from behind. It felt like a couple trucks connected to come through the 15 [Gray] to me. I haven’t seen a great replay yet, but I was definitely getting pushed before the restart zone, and I didn’t want to jump.”

The race ended up going into triple overtime with Stewart Friesen ultimately capturing the checkered flag, snapping a three-year winless streak.

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

Chase Briscoe wins third straight pole and NASCAR-high 4th pole at Michigan International Speedway | News, Sports, Jobs

Erik Jones (43) races in front of Chase Briscoe (19) during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Chase Briscoe won his third straight pole and NASCAR -high fourth this year at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday. Briscoe, driving the No. […]

Published

30 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Erik Jones (43) races in front of Chase Briscoe (19) during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Chase Briscoe won his third straight pole and NASCAR -high fourth this year at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.

Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 195.514 mph in qualifying on the 2-mile oval in the fastest pole in the Cup Series since Ryan Blaney went 200-plus mph at Texas in 2018.

He is aiming for his first win this year after five top-five finishes, and the third victory of his career.

“It will be nice starting up front and we’ve been able to do that now three weeks in a row but haven’t been able to execute with it,” Briscoe said. “So, hopefully third time is a charm.”

Kyle Busch, in the No. 8 Chevrolet, will start second Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 Toyota, qualified third and points leader William Byron, in the No. 24 Chevrolet, was fourth.

Defending race champion Tyler Reddick, in the No. 45 Toyota, will start 12th and for 23XI Racing, which is suing NASCAR.

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

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Motorsports

NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Irish Hills at Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8. This is the only 2-mile oval race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2025 after Auto Club Speedway in California has undergone significant construction changes, with the facility ending in a short track. […]

Published

53 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Irish Hills at Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8.

This is the only 2-mile oval race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for 2025 after Auto Club Speedway in California has undergone significant construction changes, with the facility ending in a short track.

Sunday’s race is the first of three that will help set the new in-season tournament bracket. The 32-driver field is set, and each driver’s best finish over the races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono will set the seeding for the first round in Atlanta.

Ryan Blaney is coming off his first win of the 2025 season with the June 1 win at Nashville Superspeedway. Tyler Reddick won the 2024 Michigan race but has not yet won in 2025.

Follow the NASCAR Michigan race from our live updates.

NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan: Live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the FireKeepers Casino 400

LIVE LEADERBOARD: Full field leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400

Chase Briscoe on pole; full NASCAR Cup Series Michigan starting lineup

Chase Briscoe is on the pole for the June 8 race for the third consecutive event with Kyle Busch joining him on the front row.

Here’s the top 10 in the starting lineup:

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Find the full starting lineup here.

NASCAR race radio coverage: How to listen to NASCAR Cup race at Michigan

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be aired on the radio by the Motor Racing Network. MRN has affiliates all across the country, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

NASCAR Michigan TV schedule, start time for FireKeepers Casino 400

Green Flag Time: Approx. 1 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 8
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval) in Brooklyn, Michigan
Length: 200 laps, 400 miles
Stages: 45 laps, 75 laps, 80 laps
TV coverage: Amazon Prime Video (streaming) (Watch Amazon Prime with a free trial)
Radio: MRN
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video (subscription required); MAX app for in-car cameras (subscription required); NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast nationally via streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Other streaming options for the race include MAX for in-car cameras for each driver.

NASCAR news, notes, stories heading into Michigan race

Recent winners of NASCAR Michigan race

2024: Tyler Reddick

2023: Chris Buescher

2022: Kevin Harvick

2021: Ryan Blaney

2020: Kevin Harvick

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