Motorsports

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

2 weeks 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.”

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Link

Motorsports

Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City | Ap

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Country United States of […]

Published

33 minutes ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

State

Zip Code

Country

Link

Motorsports

Camping sold out, limited tickets remain for Pocono NASCAR weekend – Times News Online

Published June 20. 2025 10:25AM All 3,300 camping spots have sold out for NASCAR’s upcoming tripleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway, including a fifth straight infield camping sellout. Limited grandstand tickets remain for next Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM NASCAR Cup Series race. The June 22 event begins at 2 p.m. and will […]

Published

34 minutes ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Published June 20. 2025 10:25AM

All 3,300 camping spots have sold out for NASCAR’s upcoming tripleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway, including a fifth straight infield camping sellout.

Limited grandstand tickets remain for next Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM NASCAR Cup Series race. The June 22 event begins at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime, MRN, and SiriusXM.

Pocono Raceway is seeking its third consecutive Cup Series sellout. Fans from all 50 states and 13 countries have already secured tickets.

Tickets are still available for Friday’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series MillerTech Battery 200 (5 p.m.) and Saturday’s Xfinity Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 (3:30 p.m.).

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit poconoraceway.com.

Link

Motorsports

RAM Announces NASCAR Cup Series Entry Timeline

Days after Stellantis’ RAM Trucks announced its 2026 NASCAR Truck Series entry at Michigan International Speedway, CEO Tim Kuniskis has now confirmed the timeline for the brand’s entry into the top-tier Cup Series. RAM’s entry into NASCAR makes it the first OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in the sport since Toyota introduced its Tundra in 2004. […]

Published

50 minutes ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

RAM’s entry into NASCAR makes it the first OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in the sport since Toyota introduced its Tundra in 2004. While RAM hasn’t formed a team yet, Kuniskis confidently shared during the announcement that the brand would be ready to race at Daytona next year. He also hinted that the ultimate goal is to race in the Cup Series and that the Truck Series serves as a step to enter the sport. He said:

“There will be more details on our NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program later this year. We are undoubtedly having fun with this project, and I truly look forward to sharing information on our team and how getting back on track relates to the future of Ram performance.”

Michigan International Speedway — (L-R) Tim Kuniskis, CEO Ram Brand – Stellantis, NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell and John Probst, SVP of Innovation and Racing Development pose at the Ram display on the midway for the announcement that…

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

He added:

“We’ll be on track in Daytona in eight months, and the way we’re going to do it is unlike anyone else.

“We’re looking for a date to the prom right now. So how am I going to get to Cup? That’s going to depend on how I get to Truck. So however we get to Truck is going to obviously weigh heavily on ‘do I have a path to Cup?’ Our intention is not to do a one-hit wonder and go to Truck and not to Cup. That’s not our plan.”

Now, Kuniskis has revealed further details on the RAM Trucks’ plans to enter the Cup Series in 2027, a year after the brand’s Truck Series entry. Speaking with Kevin Harvick on NASCAR on FOX, he said:

“Coming into Truck [Series] is a lot easier than coming into Cup [Series], and that’s why we were really confident with all the work that we’ve done on the Truck to say we’ll be in Daytona.

“Now, TBD who the team’s gonna be but we have every confidence that we’re going to be in Daytona.”

He added:

“It’s gonna take a little bit longer to get to Cup. Our goal is to get the Cup a year after that [2027].

“Now, everybody’s told me we’re crazy. ‘There’s no way you’re gonna get there.’ But we think there’s a couple of things from our legacy that might speed that development time up. And maybe we could be in Daytona this [coming] year with Truck, and then the following year, Daytona in Cup.

“A lot of very smart people, smarter than me have told me you better plan on two years to get back to Cup. But TBD, I’m always pushing for the quicker timeline, so I’m hoping that it’s 2027. 2026 for Truck and 2027 for Cup.”

Link

Motorsports

Hall of Famer Mark Martin Slams NASCAR’s Commercial Era for Stripping Away Driver Personality

NASCAR icon Mark Martin has launched a blistering critique against the sport’s commercial era. The Hall of Famer claims corporate pressures have systematically erased driver personalities, creating a generation of sanitized competitors. His explosive revelation targets the invisible forces reshaping modern racers. Martin insists today’s drivers possess hidden depth that sponsorship demands actively suppress. This […]

Published

51 minutes ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Martin insists today’s drivers possess hidden depth that sponsorship demands actively suppress. This corporate sanitization prevents magnetic superstars from emerging despite extraordinary on-track talent. The observation follows Sunday’s Mexico City race, where fearless driving failed to translate into fan connection.

Mark Martin Believes ‘Commerciality’ Suppressing NASCAR Drivers’ Personalities

Martin minced no words about NASCAR’s personality crisis during a revealing interview with Kenny Wallace. He contends drivers consciously suppress their authentic selves to satisfy sponsors and officials. The result is a field of racers appearing artificially bland.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s been enough super high rivalry,” Martin stated on “The Kenny Wallace Conversation.” His voice carried decades of track wisdom. “First of all, you had to water down the personalities, and that hasn’t helped.”

The 66-year-old legend sees through the polished facades. “I truly believe that the drivers today are not nearly as vanilla as they appear to be. I’ll guarantee you Jimmy Johnson was not.”

He pointed to Jimmie Johnson as prime evidence, a champion who concealed vibrant character beneath corporate polish.

“Jimmie Johnson’s one hell of a character, but he never showed that because of the commercialism of the sport. I think that has stopped these next generation as emerging as big superheroes.”

This sponsorship muzzle prevents new heroes from capturing the public imagination despite jaw-dropping skill.

Sunday’s Mexico City battle exemplified the disconnect. “I’m looking at those guys out there and they’re driving their a** off. It’s incredible,” Martin observed. “But yet so many people don’t realize that … there’s just not enough superheroes.” Raw talent isn’t translating into stardom.

Read More: Michael Waltrip Backs ‘Unapologetic’ Denny Hamlin Amid NASCAR’s Personality Debate

Kenny Wallace and Martin Discuss Team Culture Enforcing Driver Conformity in NASCAR

The conformity pressure starts at the team level, according to insiders. Podcast host Wallace singled out Hendrick Motorsports’ leadership for enforcing robotic professionalism. He claimed four-time champion Jeff Gordon actively discourages driver individuality.

“Jeff Gordon wants his drivers vanilla, and that’s what I want everybody to know. Jeff wants robotic, corporate drivers,” Wallace bluntly stated during their conversation. “He doesn’t want anybody bucking the system.” The comment sparked knowing agreement from Martin.

Martin’s own Hendrick experience offered a stark contrast. When he joined the powerhouse team in 2009, owner Rick Hendrick demanded zero persona adjustments. “There was zero pressure on me to be anything different than who I was,” Martin emphasized.

But rookies faced different rules. “Jimmie came in. He was a rookie. He would want to conform,” Martin explained. New drivers often mask true personalities, believing it’s required for success.

This self-censorship creates NASCAR’s core dilemma. Talent isn’t lacking — only the unfiltered personas that made legends like Dale Earnhardt cultural icons. The commercial era’s invisible rules trade authenticity for sponsor approval.

Martin sees dangerous consequences. Without magnetic personalities, even spectacular racing like Mexico City’s fails to captivate beyond core fans. The solution? Unleash the real characters beneath the firesuits. The Hall of Famer’s challenge echoes beyond the interview.

Can NASCAR balance commercial realities with the raw personalities that built its legacy? Sunday’s grandstands will reveal the answer.

Link

Motorsports

Time, TV channel. Finale for Amazon Prime Video

Daytona Motor Mouths: Shane van Gisbergen wins NASCAR Mexico City race The guys break down Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR win in Mexico City, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s beef with Carson Hocevar and more before Pocono. Sure, NASCAR is going from a 15-turn road course in Mexico to a familiar old track in the Pocono Mountains, but […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Sure, NASCAR is going from a 15-turn road course in Mexico to a familiar old track in the Pocono Mountains, but Pocono Raceway isn’t your typical stock-car oval track.

Pocono takes the “tri-oval” concept to an extreme.

Track construction began in the mid-1960s, six years after the opening of Daytona International Speedway brought a whole new tri-oval to racing. Pocono would become more triangle than tri-oval, however, with three distinctly different turns.

Pocono’s track was designed by Indy-racing legend Rodger Ward, who modeled each of three turns after turns on famous tracks in the Indy world: Trenton Speedway (Turn 1, 14 degrees of banking), Indianapolis (Turn 2, 8 degrees) and the Milwaukee Mile (Turn 3, 6 degrees).

Practically all forms of big-league auto racing have raced at Pocono, including, since 1971, NASCAR. The tradition continues this weekend, and here’s how to watch, including Prime Video’s fifth and final broadcast of its five-week run of Cup Series coverage.

Friday: Truckin’ in the Poconos

12:30 p.m.: Truck Series practice and qualifying (FS2).

5: Truck Series, MillerTech Battery 200 (FS1).

Saturday: Lots of NASCAR noise in the mountains

10 a.m.: Xfinity Series practice and qualifying (CW).

12:30 p.m.: Cup Series practice and qualifying (Prime).

3:30: Xfinity Series, Explore Pocono 250 (CW).

Sunday NASCAR: Prime time, one more time, at Pocono

2 p.m.: Cup Series, The Great American Getaway 400 (Prime).

Elsewhere this weekend for NASCAR: ARCA and the IMSA sports-cars

Saturday: ARCA at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, 9 p.m. (FS2).

Sunday: IMSA’s six-hour race at Watkins Glen, noon (NBC and Peacock).

Link

Motorsports

MobileX and Walmart Join Forces to Fuel Supercars Champion Will Brown’s NASCAR Return for Chicago Street Race with Kaulig Racing

IRVINE, Calif., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MobileX, the most customizable wireless service designed to save consumers money, and Walmart are teaming up to bring Australian Supercars Champion Will Brown to the Chicago Street Race, one of the most anticipated NASCAR events of the year. Brown will join Kaulig Racing for his second NASCAR Cup Series […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 20, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MobileX and Walmart take the spotlight on the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro as Will Brown heads into the Chicago Street Race for his NASCAR Cup Series return.

MobileX will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro, with branding from both MobileX and Walmart featured prominently on the car. MobileX and Walmart’s partnership highlights their shared commitment to performance, innovation and delivering high-octane experiences both on and off the track as they support Brown’s return.

“We’re excited to be back at NASCAR, firing on all cylinders alongside Walmart and sponsoring international star Will Brown in his NASCAR Cup Series return,” said Peter Adderton, Founder and CEO of MobileX. “At MobileX, we thrive on partnering with elite talent pushing boundaries in the world’s most electrifying sports. Will is a bold, relentless and precision-driven global force, and embodies the same disruptive energy we bring to wireless. Together with Walmart, we’re not just showing up, we’re showing consumers what a modern lifestyle brand looks like… one that’s fast, fearless and focused on delivering unbeatable value.”

MobileX continues to drive disruption in the wireless industry by helping customers pay only for what they use. Unlike traditional carriers that lock users into rigid plans, MobileX is the only wireless provider that uses AI to analyze a customer’s actual behavior, forecast their usage and recommend the most efficient plan based on their needs. Available in 3,700 Walmart stores nationwide and online, MobileX is redefining what modern wireless service looks like: smarter, more flexible and built for how people truly live and connect.

Fresh off a dominant season that earned him the 2024 Supercars Championship, Brown is widely considered one of the sport’s rising stars. This sponsorship marks his second partnership with MobileX, following their collaboration during his NASCAR debut last season.

MobileX is also rolling out a special incentive for its Chicago-area wireless dealers. The top three performing dealers through the month of June will earn an exclusive VIP experience at the event, including premium hospitality and behind-the-scenes access with the Kaulig Racing team.

The Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 6, 2025.

For more information on MobileX, please visit mymobilex.com.

About MobileX
Headquartered in Orange County, California, MobileX is the world’s most customizable mobile carrier delivering the ultimate in choice and cost control. MobileX is a unique service that uses artificial intelligence to predict how much data customers need, delivering a dramatic reduction in cost while ensuring reliable speed and service. MobileX was founded by Peter Adderton, who also founded both Boost Mobile and Digital Turbine. For more information, please visit mymobilex.com.

Press contact:
Illume PR for MobileX
[email protected]

SOURCE Mobile X Global, Inc.

Link