Fact Check: Is Zane Smith Really Doing Better at Front Row Motorsports Than He Was at Spire Last Year?
After weathering a turbulent rookie campaign with Spire Motorsports that ended in a 30th-place finish in the standings, Zane Smith knows full well that breaking into the NASCAR Cup Series is no easy feat. Reflecting on that maiden voyage, which he bluntly described as a “bad luck year,” Smith now appears to have found more […]
After weathering a turbulent rookie campaign with Spire Motorsports that ended in a 30th-place finish in the standings, Zane Smith knows full well that breaking into the NASCAR Cup Series is no easy feat. Reflecting on that maiden voyage, which he bluntly described as a “bad luck year,” Smith now appears to have found more stable footing in Year Two.
Ready for his run in Mexico, the Front Row Motorsports driver was asked to assess his season to date. “It’s been pretty fun. I’m probably having the most fun I’ve ever had throughout my racing career, and the last time I think I said that was in 2022 with FRM. It’s been great. Being able to get that pole was really cool. I feel like we’ve thrown away a lot of top 10s and possible top fives,” Smith said.
The numbers back him up. Through 15 races last year, Smith had just three top-20 finishes and failed to crack the top 10. This season, he’s flipped the script, scoring ten top-20s, including a pair of top-10s, showing clear signs of growth and consistency.
“I feel like we’re getting ourselves closer and closer to putting ourselves in contention for a race win on Sunday,” he noted. Smith didn’t sugarcoat the struggles of his rookie year but emphasized that he’s been chipping away, focused on execution, and maximizing every opportunity.
Having spent two prior years with FRM in the Truck Series, Smith added, “It’s been awesome being back at FRM and being teammates with two really close friends.”
His history with Front Row and the Ford camp runs deep. Smith recalled building special memories on the Truck side and now hopes to forge more on NASCAR’s biggest stage, this time, with a Sunday spotlight.
Yet the journey hasn’t come without heartbreak. After a grueling 2024, Spire Motorsports chose not to renew his contract. Instead, they signed Michael McDowell to a multi-year deal in May 2024 to pilot the #71, effectively closing the door on Smith’s return.
Caught in limbo during the offseason, Smith admitted, “It’s been an absolutely miserable three-four months, I’m just figuring out what’s next.” That uncertainty finally ended when Front Row Motorsports handed him a chance.
Now part of a refreshed FRM trio alongside Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson, Smith finds himself competing under a cloud of legal scrutiny. The team, currently locked in an antitrust battle with NASCAR, has been treading carefully after scoring an early legal win.
However, with the pendulum swinging back in NASCAR’s favor, and mounting pressure on 23XI Racing and FRM alike, the road ahead for Smith and his teammates could once again be lined with obstacles.
Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend. Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United States […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.
Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United States and believed all the negative things he’d read and heard about Mexico City.
“I am embarrassed by my comments,” he posted in a lengthy apology.
Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.
Spire said the $50,000 fine will be donated in equal portions to three organizations that serve Mexican communities:
Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross).
Un Kilo de Ayuda, a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development in rural communities.
Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico), which funds local NGOs that improve education, health, and housing in 22 Mexican states.
“These actions are consistent with Spire Motorsports’ core value of RESPECT, which is something we proudly display on every race car, team uniform, trackside hauler, and digital channel,” the team said in a statement. “Respect is not a slogan. It is a daily expectation that we ‘walk the walk’ in how we speak, compete, and serve the communities that welcome our sport.
“Carson Hocevar’s recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard. They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR. He has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
Spire said it informed NASCAR of Hocevar’s penalties and that it satisfied the sanctioning body’s requirements.
“Together we remain committed to showcasing NASCAR’s global growth, celebrating the passionate Mexican fanbase we experienced firsthand last weekend, and ensuring every member of our organization treats hosts, competitors, and communities with dignity,” Spire said.
“We look forward to turning the page by racing hard, representing our partners, and living our values on and off the track.”
Carson Hocevar drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Carson Hocevar fined $50K by his race team for derogatory comments about Mexico City
NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar has been fined $50,000 by his race team, Spire Motorsports, and will be required to undergo sensitivity training after calling Mexico City a “s—hole” on a livestream over the weekend. Hocevar streamed on Twitch from Mexico City on Friday night, prior to NASCAR’s first Cup Series points race outside […]
NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar has been fined $50,000 by his race team, Spire Motorsports, and will be required to undergo sensitivity training after calling Mexico City a “s—hole” on a livestream over the weekend.
Hocevar streamed on Twitch from Mexico City on Friday night, prior to NASCAR’s first Cup Series points race outside the United States since 1958, and listed various complaints about the trip. They included concerns about safety in the city and feeling unable to leave his upscale hotel.
The comments did not come to light until after the completion of Sunday night’s race (Hocevar finished 34th), after which Hocevar issued an apology on social media. Hocevar’s No. 77 car was sponsored in the race by Totalplay, a Mexican telecommunications company.
Hocevar wrote he had never been out of the United States until Thursday and had been skeptical about the trip, believing “everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here.”
“Now that I’ve actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed,” he wrote. “I am embarrassed by my comments. … I’m sorry Mexico City. Consider me an ally going forward and an example of getting off Twitch and seeing things with my own two eyes.”
Spire said Hocevar violated its company policy and was penalizing him “in close consultation with NASCAR,” which planned to discipline the driver if the team had not taken action.
Hocevar’s $50,000 fine will be split among three organizations that serve Mexican communities — the Mexican Red Cross, United Way Mexico and a nonprofit that combats childhood malnutrition. His mandatory training will include sessions on cultural sensitivity and bias awareness.
Spire, which has the word “Respect” displayed prominently on its cars, uniforms, haulers, website and inside the race shop, said Hocevar’s comments “fell short of that standard.”
“They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR,” Spire said in a statement. “He has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
Spire said it informed NASCAR of the penalties, which “satisfies the sanctioning body’s requirements.”
“Together we remain committed to showcasing NASCAR’s global growth, celebrating the passionate Mexican fan base we experienced firsthand last weekend, and ensuring every member of our organization treats hosts, competitors, and communities with dignity,” Spire said.
Hocevar wasn’t the only member of the NASCAR community who publicly aired displeasure with the Mexico City trip. Tab Boyd, the spotter for Hyak Motorsports driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., posted on X that “people can talk it up all they want” but “can’t even walk out the front door of the hotel without getting hustled and money snatched in less than five minutes.”
“Good area my ass,” he added.
Boyd’s X account was deleted as of Monday morning, and it was unclear whether he remained employed by Hyak as of Tuesday evening.
Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City | National Sports
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend. Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.
Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United States and believed all the negative things he’d read and heard about Mexico City.
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Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend. Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a live stream as NASCAR raced there last weekend.
Hocevar walked back the comments Sunday night with an apology and the 22-year-old admitted it was the first time he’d ever been outside the United States and believed all the negative things he’d read and heard about Mexico City.
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“I am embarrassed by my comments,” he posted in a lengthy apology.
Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.
Spire said the $50,000 fine will be donated in equal portions to three organizations that serve Mexican communities:
— Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross).
— Un Kilo de Ayuda, a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development in rural communities.
— Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico), which funds local NGOs that improve education, health, and housing in 22 Mexican states.
“These actions are consistent with Spire Motorsports’ core value of RESPECT, which is something we proudly display on every race car, team uniform, trackside hauler, and digital channel,” the team said in a statement. “Respect is not a slogan. It is a daily expectation that we ‘walk the walk’ in how we speak, compete, and serve the communities that welcome our sport.
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“Carson Hocevar’s recent comments made during the livestream fell short of that standard. They did not represent the views of Spire Motorsports, our partners, or NASCAR. He has acknowledged his mistake publicly, and his prompt, sincere apology demonstrated personal accountability. We now take this additional step to underscore that words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
Spire said it informed NASCAR of Hocevar’s penalties and that it satisfied the sanctioning body’s requirements.
“Together we remain committed to showcasing NASCAR’s global growth, celebrating the passionate Mexican fanbase we experienced firsthand last weekend, and ensuring every member of our organization treats hosts, competitors, and communities with dignity,” Spire said.
“We look forward to turning the page by racing hard, representing our partners, and living our values on and off the track.”
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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