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Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Michigan’s Carson Hocevar reminds me of ‘a 1979 Dale Earnhardt’

BROOKLYN, MI – A 22-year-old NASCAR driver from Michigan has made a handful of enemies on the track this year, but he received high praise from one of the sport’s legends. Dale Earnhardt Jr. compared Carson Hocevar to his late father, while speaking this week on his show, The Dale Jr. Download. “I think that […]

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BROOKLYN, MI – A 22-year-old NASCAR driver from Michigan has made a handful of enemies on the track this year, but he received high praise from one of the sport’s legends.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. compared Carson Hocevar to his late father, while speaking this week on his show, The Dale Jr. Download.

“I think that the guy reminds me of like a 1979 Dale Earnhardt,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Fast. Not scared to use the front bumper. Doesn’t care if somebody gets mad about it. On the verge of becoming a star.”

FireKeepers Casino 400

Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, signs an autograph for Braxton Loustus, 7, during the pre-race ceremony during the NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com

The comments come after Hocevar tied his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish last Sunday, finishing second at Nashville Superspeedway. But in the process, Hocevar hit Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending him into the wall and ruining his finish.

Stenhouse wasn’t happy, and hinted at payback after the race. Stenhouse infamously punched Kyle Busch after getting crashed at the All-Star Race last year.

The next chapter in the drama could unfold at Michigan International Speedway – Hocevar’s home track. The series will race at MIS at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.

Prime Video is broadcasting the race, with Earnhardt Jr. on the broadcast team.

Earnhardt Jr. said he sees a “glimpse” of his dad in a handful of drivers, including Ross Chastain and Joey Logano.

“(Hocevar) makes a lot of mistakes, ruffles a lot of feathers. But he’s very fast, very aggressive,” he said.

Hocevar, from Portage, has leaned into Dale Earnhardt comparisons this year, even buying a black No. 3 Dale Earnhardt-styled truck and driving it to a race.

Many in the industry have chastised Hocevar this week, including veteran racer Denny Hamlin.

“You may think it’s cool to be the tough guy and put on this persona of someone that’s one of the most popular drivers in our sport because he was ‘The Intimidator.’ You’re not that guy,” Hamlin said. “This is a different type of racing nowadays. It’s not the best strategy, especially as good as he’s running.”

Hocevar is 17th in points, just four points out of a potential playoff spot – and two points in front of Stenhouse.

While Earnhardt Jr. questions Hocevar’s move on Stenhouse, he doesn’t want him to change his driving style.

“I say (this all) to maybe encourage Carson to continue what he’s doing, because Dale Earnhardt ended up being a seven-time champion,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “And that aggressive style is something that endeared him to a lot of people.”



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Katherine Legge Adds Brickyard 400 to 2025 NASCAR Schedule

Katherine Legge, a four-time Indianapolis 500 starter, will be tackling the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway racetrack once again next weekend, running double-duty in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The native of Guildford, England, will be adding the Brickyard 400, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, to her schedule in the NASCAR Cup […]

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Katherine Legge, a four-time Indianapolis 500 starter, will be tackling the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway racetrack once again next weekend, running double-duty in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The native of Guildford, England, will be adding the Brickyard 400, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events, to her schedule in the NASCAR Cup Series with Live Fast Motorsports. Legge will once again pilot the No. 78 Chevrolet, as she has in several events at NASCAR’s top-level in 2025.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark the first time in her NASCAR career that Legge has run double-duty – competing in multiple of NASCAR’s top-three divisions during the same race weekend. In her 10 stock car events this season, the 44-year-old driver has focused on running either the Cup or Xfinity Series vehicle.

Desnuda Organic Tequila and Indiana-based venture studio Droplight will support Legge as she competes in both events at the iconic 2.5-mile speedway.

“It’s always an honor to drive at Indy, but having the chance to compete in both the Cup and Xfinity races thanks to Desnuda and Droplight is going to be epic,” said Katherine Legge. “After racing in the Indianapolis 500 in [2023 and 2024], I definitely felt a void not being there this year. But adding races to my schedule is exactly what I’ve been working toward – competing in as many events as possible and logging as many laps as I can. I’m incredibly thankful to Team Chevy and my partners at Desnuda, Droplight, and e.l.f. Cosmetics for making my return to the Brickyard extra special.”

Legge is currently the only woman competing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, and earlier this year at Phoenix Raceway, became the first woman since Danica Patrick to start an event at NASCARs top-level.

“At Droplight, we invest in people with grit, purpose, and a commitment to excellence. Katherine Legge embodies all of that—not just as a world-class driver, but as a leader who inspires others to defy limits, said Phil Williams, Owner and Co-Founder of Droplight. “Just as we back small businesses across the United States that are built on vision and resilience, we support athletes like Katherine who carry that same entrepreneurial spirit on and off the track.”

Earlier this month at the Chicago Street Course, after bumping her way into the field during qualifying, Legge scored her best-ever finish in the NASCAR Cup Series, with a 19th-place run – the first woman to score a top-20 in the Cup Series since 2017.

“Many people see the driver, the car, and the race—but they miss the business behind it. Motorsports is one of the most demanding team environments in the world. It takes relentless coordination between engineering, strategy, mechanics, and leadership. Every bolt, every call, every second matters,” said Joseph Anderson, CEO and Co-Founder of Droplight. “Supporting Katherine Legge means supporting a team where everyone—from the pit crew to the data analyst—must execute with precision for a shot at success. It’s no different than a high-growth small business: if even one part of the team falls asleep, you miss the opportunity. At Droplight, we invest in those who operate at that level—on the track and in the marketplace.”

Making the transition into NASCAR’s National Series this season, Legge has made five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Jordan Anderson Racing, and four starts in the NASCAR Cup Series for Live Fast Motorsports.

In the Xfinity Series, Legge has had her fair share of bad luck this year, being involved in an incident in all five events that she has competed in, netting a season-best result of 32nd at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year.

The NASCAR Cup Series has been a little bit kinder to Legge, aside from an incident in her series debut at Phoenix Raceway. In four starts, three of which have come on road courses, the Live Fast Motorsports driver has recorded a pair of top-30 results, including a career-best 19th at Chicago.

“Katherine represents the pinnacle of tenacity, class and endurance. As our team looks to the future and expands into more markets, we see our core customers sharing those traits. Quality and purity are also at the heart of our brand, and how we approach the process of creating the finest tequila. Katherine is the perfect partner to exemplify and promote that message. Cheers with Desnuda.”

Legge will compete in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis – set to take place on Sunday, July 27 at 2:00pm ET on TNT Sports, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, and HBO Max. The Xfinity Series event will take place the afternoon before (July 26) at 4:30pm ET on The CW.

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Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s the summer to sue in NASCAR, the sport where the on-track bumping and banging is in danger of being overshadowed by the action in the courtroom. Two teams — one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan — are suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are […]

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s the summer to sue in NASCAR, the sport where the on-track bumping and banging is in danger of being overshadowed by the action in the courtroom.

Two teams — one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan — are suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are awaiting a federal court ruling before Sunday’s race in Delaware that could impact their ability to compete.

Meanwhile, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is battling tiny Rick Ware Racing, and his lawyers at Legacy Motor Club went hard at Ware’s attorneys in a Monday hearing.

What is all the fighting about? Charters, which are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival.

The legal wrangling is only making the the charters skyrocket in value. When Spire Motorsports debuted in 2019, it had bought a charter for $6 million. Now, one of Spire’s founders brokered the now-disputed deal for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Legacy for $45 million.

Johnson is not enjoying the legal brawling, including the higher-profile antitrust fight. He called on those parties to settle.

“I’m just sitting back watching it all play out, learning a lot about the legal process and the amount of injunctions and appeals that can take place,” Johnson said. “It’s a big game of chess, and I’m watching all the strategy that goes into it all.

“I would love to see a settlement of some kind. I really don’t think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody.”

The NASCAR lawsuit

23XI and FRM filed a federal antitrust suit against NASCAR last year after they were the only two organizations out of 15 to reject NASCAR’s extension offer on charters.

The case has a Dec. 1 trial date, but, in the meantime, the two teams are fighting to be recognized as chartered for the current season, which has 16 races left. A charter guarantees one of the 40 spots in the field each week, but also a base amount of money paid out each week.

Jordan and FRM owner Bob Jenkins won an injunction to recognize 23XI and FRM as chartered for the season, but the ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month. Both teams were set to be stripped of a combined six charters on Wednesday, which would force them to compete as “open cars.”

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin co-owns 23XI with Jordan and said they are prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst to the track each week as open teams. But they still filed for a restraining order Monday and claimed that through discovery they learned NASCAR upon revocation planned to immediately begin the process of selling the six charters which would put “plaintiffs in irreparable jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”

NASCAR said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of re-negotiating the charter agreements held by 30 other teams.

Jordan has the money to keep 23XI running without charters, but FRM doesn’t have the same level of funding. Additionally, if the teams aren’t chartered, they will have to qualify on speed each week to make the field.

It won’t be an issue this weekend at Dover as fewer than the maximum 40 cars are entered. But should 41 cars show up anywhere this season, someone slow will be sent home.

“We’re not worried because our cars have the speed. We’ve always said we’re racing no matter what. If we have to race open, we have to race open,” Hamlin said at Sonoma Raceway last weekend. “We worked to get an injunction and obviously feel like Dec. 1 is all that matters.”

Legacy vs. RWR

This case is actually a dispute over agreed-upon terms for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management.

Ware this season is leasing a charter to RFK Racing and was already under agreement with that team to get the charter back in 2026, then lease RFK its second charter next season. He never had a charter to sell for 2026 unless he ceased operations.

Yet when he signed the contract with Legacy, Ware has said, he didn’t read it through and catch that the sale terms were for next season and not 2027, when he’d have both charters in his possession.

RWR is alleging Legacy pulled a bait-and-switch, and if true, it is on Ware for not seeing it in the contract he signed.

The curveball came when T.J. Puchyr, the Spire co-founder who now acts as a consultant and brokered the deal between Legacy and Ware, said last month he plans to buy Ware’s team. Legacy argued in court Monday it was blindsided by the news, that if Ware is selling then the charter rightfully belongs to them, and they urgently needed depositions before Ware sold his race team out from under them.

It didn’t help when Ware’s lawyers couldn’t answer questions about a potential sale: “I think you need to talk to your client,” the judge told them before warning Ware may be in contempt of court and ordering depositions for later this week.

Ware, meanwhile, apparently accepted the Legacy offer for his charter despite a second bid of more than $50 million from another party. With NASCAR indicating through discovery in the 23XI/FRM suit that it has interested buyers for the six charters, it is a seller’s market.

Johnson, with financial backing from Knighthead, is certain he will be getting the Ware charter one way or another to expand Legacy to three full-time Cup Series drivers.

“I’m not sure there is a plan B,” Johnson said of his confidence level at winning the case.





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Advance Auto Parts Sponsoring Josh Berry at Dover

Advance Auto Parts has forged a new partnership with Wood Brothers Racing, one of NASCAR’s most iconic organizations, for Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Josh Berry will be piloting the No. 21 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series’ annual trip to the one-mile concrete oval, […]

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Advance Auto Parts has forged a new partnership with Wood Brothers Racing, one of NASCAR’s most iconic organizations, for Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway.

Josh Berry will be piloting the No. 21 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series’ annual trip to the one-mile concrete oval, taking place on Sunday, July 20.

The addition of this partnership with Wood Brothers Racing further expands the motorsports portfolio of Advance Auto Parts, which also sponsors Ryan Blaney and Team Penske, as well as the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series — which allows short track racers to compete for track, state, regional, and national championships.

Berry is the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion, a triumph which assisted in springboarding the Hendersonville, Tennessee-native into NASCAR’s National Series on a full-time basis, and eventually into the NASCAR Cup Series.

“To have Advance Auto Parts on board at Dover is really special to me,” said Berry. “They’ve done so much to support grassroots racing across the country, and I’m proud to have won the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship back in 2020. It means a lot to now represent them at the Cup level with Wood Brothers Racing.”

The 34-year-old driver is currently in his first year of NASCAR Cup Series competition with Wood Brothers Racing, after contesting his rookie campaign with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024. Berry has already locked the team into the postseason with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Advance Auto Parts has been a tremendous supporter in raising the profile of short track racing across the country for the past several years, and this partnership aligns perfectly with Josh’s background,” said Jon Wood, president, Wood Brothers Racing. “He’s a product of the system they’ve supported and continues to represent the values of grassroots racing. We’re proud to have Advance Auto Parts on board the No. 21 car at Dover.”

The partnership also reflects Advance Auto Parts’ continued investment in driver development and the future of the sport.

“Josh’s journey from the local short tracks to the Cup Series embodies the spirit of what Advance Auto Parts stands for,” said Bruce Starnes, executive vice president and chief merchant, Advance Auto Parts. “We’re proud to support him and to align with one of the most iconic teams in the sport in Wood Brothers Racing.”

The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway will take place on Sunday, July 20 at 2:00 pm ET on TNT Sports, Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.



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NASCAR Today: Officials slam 23XI as Cup Series team facing multiple suspensions

NASCAR officials have issued a scathing statement regarding 23XI and Front Row Motorsports after their latest actions in court. ➡️ READ MORE NASCAR Cup Series star facing race suspension impact after Kyle Larson precedent After an incident involving Kyle Larson set a clear precedent earlier this season, a NASCAR Cup Series team are facing multiple […]

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NASCAR officials have issued a scathing statement regarding 23XI and Front Row Motorsports after their latest actions in court.

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NASCAR Cup Series star facing race suspension impact after Kyle Larson precedent

After an incident involving Kyle Larson set a clear precedent earlier this season, a NASCAR Cup Series team are facing multiple punishments following an incident at Sonoma.

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Kyle Busch gets NASCAR playoff boost as Hendrick Motorsports star suffers demotion setback

The latest Cup Series standings are in following Sonoma and it’s a good time to be a Kyle Busch fan.

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Denny Hamlin hit with NASCAR penalty as four Cup Series drivers guilty of same offence

Four Cup Series stars were penalized for the same offence at Sonoma, including Denny Hamlin.

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Michael Jordan-owned 23XI attempt to save Cup Series status as ‘immediate’ sale prepared

23XI and FRM are back in court again as their legal battle with NASCAR takes yet another twist.

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NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney hits back at critics on social media

Team Penske star Ryan Blaney took the chance to bite back at one of his critics on social media after the race at Sonoma.

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Kevin Harvick Hails Red Bull’s NASCAR Revival as Shane van Gisbergen’s Wins Set the Stage for Classic Sponsor Showdowns

Kevin Harvick believes Shane van Gisbergen’s recent NASCAR success could mark a pivotal turning point, not just for Trackhouse Racing, but for the sport’s commercial landscape as well. Red Bull’s unexpected NASCAR comeback in 2025 is already making headlines in Victory Lane. Partnering with Trackhouse Racing, the iconic energy drink brand has returned to stock […]

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Kevin Harvick believes Shane van Gisbergen’s recent NASCAR success could mark a pivotal turning point, not just for Trackhouse Racing, but for the sport’s commercial landscape as well.

Red Bull’s unexpected NASCAR comeback in 2025 is already making headlines in Victory Lane. Partnering with Trackhouse Racing, the iconic energy drink brand has returned to stock car racing for the first time since 2011, sponsoring both Van Gisbergen and rising prospect Connor Zilisch.

The decision to return, mainly due to Van Gisbergen’s long-standing Red Bull partnership in Australian Supercars, is already paying off.

Why Does Kevin Harvick Think Red Bull’s NASCAR Return Matters?

On his “Happy Hour” podcast, Harvick praised Red Bull’s return to NASCAR’s Victory Lane and called it a significant moment for the energy drink giant’s renewed involvement in stock car racing.

“When you look at SVG, well there’s a couple things here,” Harvick said. “One, the sponsor on the side of that car. Okay, well, when you have Red Bull on the side of your car.”

Harvick pointed out that Red Bull’s previous stint in NASCAR, beginning around 2005, ended in disappointment due to poor team performance and a lack of lasting impact. But with Van Gisbergen taking wins and bringing Zilisch into the fold under the Red Bull banner, Harvick sees a sharp contrast.

“Red Bull came into this sport in 2005-ish, and had just a terrible experience with the way that they put the team together, the performance on the racetrack, everything that happened with Red Bull’s experience in NASCAR is the exact opposite of what happened yesterday,” Harvick said. “With Shane going to Victory Lane, his relationship, bringing Connor Zilisch on board with that Red Bull relationship.”

While Harvick emphasized that he doesn’t typically focus on sponsors, Red Bull’s success with SVG signals something bigger for the sport.

“Normally I don’t sit here and talk about sponsors,” Harvick said. “But to me this is a big deal to have Red Bull in Victory Lane, and have Red Bull back in NASCAR racing because the energy drink sector of what we do, we need Red Bull and Monster to compete. Whether it be marketing, advertising, well just like Budweiser, Coors Light, Miller Light used to do back in the day.”

With Van Gisbergen now a proven winner and Red Bull visibly invested, Harvick believes NASCAR could be headed for a new era of big-brand rivalries.

“When you have those big companies like that that are engaged in the marketing side of things, it brings a whole new element to the marketing side of things, and that is good for our sport,” Harvick said.



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Kris Wright Sidelined for Dover Xfinity Race; Kaz Grala Tapped as Replacement for Our Motorsports

Chris Knight Chris Knight has served as a senior staff writer and news editor for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001. In his 20-plus years with CATCHFENCE.com, he has covered NASCAR’s top three national series, often breaking news and providing exclusive at-track content, including in-depth race weekend coverage. He also offers insider coverage of the entire Motorsports platform, […]

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Chris Knight

Chris Knight has served as a senior staff writer and news editor for CATCHFENCE.com since 2001.
In his 20-plus years with CATCHFENCE.com, he has covered NASCAR’s top three national series, often breaking news and providing exclusive at-track content, including in-depth race weekend coverage. He also offers insider coverage of the entire Motorsports platform, including the ARCA Menards Series.
In 2022, Knight became co-owner of CATCHFENCE.com.
In addition to his active duties at CATCHFENCE.com and other Motorsports-related endeavors, he is also a frequent contributor to SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Knighter01 or on Instagram, Snapchat, or Threads at @TheKnighter01. He can be reached by email at [email protected].



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