Former NASCAR Cup Series announcer Rick Allen is now in the broadcast booth calling the CARS Tour, following his sudden removal from the premium stock car series.

Allen was a familiar voice on the Cup Series coverage for over a decade, but was removed from the booth during the 2024 season. Even NBA legend and 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan was confused, as the change was sudden without much explanation.

Leigh Diffey stepped in to cover Allen’s role, as he was moved to the Xfinity Series amid the changes. Allen didn’t speak out about the changes at the time, which he regrets, as it led to false speculation over why he’d been removed.

In an appearance on the ‘Dale Jr. Download’ podcast, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Allen if he would have done anything differently after discovering his role had been filled. “Looking back on it, I think it looked bad. Like again, public perception was I had done something wrong. It hit me like a ton of bricks,” Allen said.

“We were at Michael Jordan’s golf course. The first think that Jordan says to me: ‘What’d you do man? How come you aren’t announcing the races? You’re NASCAR.’

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“I sat there and I was like ‘oh my.’ Not only does Jordan know who I am, which I was like wow, okay. He thought I had done something wrong, and that’s why they put Diffey in.

“By me not saying anything, and the way NBC did it, I think it looked like I had done something wrong and that’s why I wasn’t [on anymore]. And so I think I would have been more vocal, just so the people know it wasn’t my choice.”

Allen learned about the changes just before he was set to host the NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremony in 2024, which impacted his performance. “I found out about that the day before the Hall of Fame in January [2024], think it was like the 18th or something.

“I found out the day before at a lunch. As a matter of fact, at that time, they said I was going to do up until, they didn’t know exactly how many races, but they were going to have Diffey do the last however many races. I didn’t understand that.

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“I guess I didn’t know why that would be the way you would transition somebody in and me out. I didn’t know why. I carried that with me. The news didn’t come out until later, and they told me there was nothing going to come out, then all of a sudden it didn’t, and they told me not to do any release or response.

“I would say I was almost a zombie at the Hall of Fame. I was the MC ,and they told me the day before. I was crushed.”

Allen’s removal came after NASCAR agreed to a new record TV rights deal worth $7.7 billion over seven years. The new deal ensured that FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon Prime Video, and TNT Sports would broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series from the 2025 season.

What’s Happening?

Hendrick Motorsports sim driver Anthony Alfredo will be on standby for Alex Bowman this weekend in Mexico City, should Bowman, who is medically cleared to compete, be unable to do so.

• Following a hard crash at Michigan International Speedway, fans wondered if Alex Bowman would be cleared to race this weekend. While HMS has confirmed he is scheduled to race Sunday in Mexico City, Anthony Alfredo will be on standby to take over should Bowman need to step out of the No. 48.
• The lap 68 accident at Michigan saw Bowman slam into the outside wall nose-first after Austin Cindric made contact with Cole Custer. At the time, Bowman seemed fine, walking himself to the ambulance and being released from the infield medical center. According to HMS, he was evaluated for back pain this week but cleared to compete.
• Alfredo, who serves as HMS’ primary simulator driver, is a full-time Xfinity Series driver with Cup Series experience. The 26-year-old competed in NASCAR’s top Series full-time in 2021 and part-time since 2023. Alfredo was already going to be in Mexico City, racing in Saturday’s The Chilango 150 with Young’s Motorsports.
• While HMS has a plan in place, it is a great sign to see Bowman cleared to race this weekend after a head-on impact with the wall. Though he has been with HMS since 2018, Bowman has had quite a history of injuries in recent seasons, missing multiple races in 2022 and 2023 for different reasons.

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Fresh off his third victory of the season at Michigan, Denny Hamlin will sit out the first-ever Cup race in Mexico, staying home with long-time partner Jordan Fish following the birth of their son. The couple already have two daughters together. 

Hamlin released the following statement on Thursday, saying: “We are happy to announce the birth of our son. Everyone is doing well. My main priority is to be here at home for Jordan and our family over the next few days when she is able to go home and we transition to life as a family of five.”

Denny Hamlin and family

Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Hamlin hasn’t missed a Cup race in over 400 races. He did not take part in the March, 2014 Cup race at in Fontana, California, as he was dealing with a sinus infection that was affecting his vision.

Ryan Truex, the younger brother of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., will replace him behind the wheel of No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Truex has just 26 Cup starts and none since the 2014 season — almost 11 years ago. Most recently, Truex competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JGR, winning three races since 2023. 

While NASCAR introduced a stricter playoff waiver policy for 2025, promising to strip drivers of all playoff points if they need a waiver for non-medical reasons, Hamlin doesn’t need to worry. Missing a race for the birth of a child is covered under valid medical reasons, so there is no penalty for Hamlin in requesting a playoff waiver. The team has already indicated that they will apply for such a waiver to remain eligible for the 2025 NASCAR Cup playoffs.

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Four-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore announced today that he has partnered with TW Cable LLC to be the primary sponsor for his fifth NASCAR Xfinity Series event of the season with Joe Gibbs Racing at Pocono Raceway on June 21.

TW Cable, LLC will be on the side of the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for the Pocono Mountains 250, where Bonsignore will climb back in with Joe Gibbs Racing for the first time since Rockingham Speedway in April.

TW Cable, LLC is engaged in the sale and distribution of multimedia technology products consisting of fiber optics and copper communications related wire and cable, both inside and outside, as well as computer network and connectivity components. Their products serve as the vital link for the flow of information that allows people and companies to communicate and transmit business. You can learn more about TW Cable, LLC by visiting twcablellc.com.

“We’re excited to take TW Cable, LLC with us on the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra to the Tricky Triangle next weekend,” Bonsignore said. “It’s been a bit since I was in the car, but I’m ready to jump back in and get right to work with Seth Chavka (crew chief) and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing team. We can’t thank TW Cable, LLC enough for supporting our efforts and look forward to showcasing their brand to the fans at the track and a national audience live on The CW.”

Bonsignore has 45 career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins, ranking second all-time. He picked up his fourth championship in 2024 and has opened the 2025 season with top-five finishes in all but one event. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, four NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, North Carolina, and owned by 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs, who also earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named as one of the NFL’s top 10 coaches of all-time with a winning career that included three Super Bowl Championships as head coach of the Washington franchise. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, capturing 400 wins over that span. The NASCAR Xfinity Series operation specifically is overseen by Steve DeSouza.

“Partnering with Justin Bonsignore and Joe Gibbs Racing is an exciting opportunity to showcase TW Cable LLC’s brand on a national stage,” said Craig Goodstein, President of TW Cable LLC. “We’re proud to support Justin’s efforts at Pocono Raceway and look forward to being part of a thrilling race weekend with a championship-caliber team.”

For more information on TW Cable, LLC visit twcablellc.com. For more information on Justin Bonsignore, visit JustinBonsignore.com and follow his Athlete page on Facebook.

Justin Bonsignore PR

5 KYLE LARSON
 

Age: 32 (July 31, 1992)
 

Hometown: Elk Grove, California
 

Last Week: 5th (Michigan)
 

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
 

Standings: 2nd
 
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No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet
 

 

 

2025

 

Cup Career

 

Road Courses

Races

15

 

381

 

39

Wins

3

 

32

 

6

Poles

1

 

22

 

5

Top 5

9

 

128

 

11

Top 10

11

 

193

 

16

Laps Led

851

 

10,107

 

305

Stage Wins

8

 

70

 

5

Average Finish

11.2

 

14.0

 

14.7

 

In his 39 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on road courses, Kyle Larson has six victories (two each at Sonoma, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL), tying him for fourth on the all-time wins list. He trails only Jeff Gordon (nine), Tony Stewart (eight) and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (seven).
Through the first 15 races of the 2025 season, Larson holds the second-best average finishing position at 11.2. Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron currently leads with an average finish of 10.4.
Larson’s three wins, nine top-five finishes and series-leading 11 top 10s in 2025 mark the best start to a season in his career, with all three totals being personal bests through the first 15 races.
Larson has won two of his last five starts on a road course. His most recent came at the Charlotte ROVAL in October 2024.
With 23 playoff points under his belt, Larson is currently the projected top seed in the 2025 Cup Series playoffs.

 

 
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
 

Age: 29 (Nov. 28, 1995)
 

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
 

Last week: 15th (Michigan)
 

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
 

Standings: 5th
 
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No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet
 

 

 

2025

 

Cup Career

 

Road Courses

Races

15

 

337

 

36

Wins

0

 

19

 

7

Poles

0

 

12

 

3

Top 5

3

 

107

 

20

Top 10

7

 

178

 

24

Laps Led

95

 

5,621

 

489

Stage Wins

0

 

38

 

8

Average Finish

11.7

 

12.8

 

9.0

 

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will compete at Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the first time. Chase Elliott has seven Cup victories on road courses, which rank third all-time only behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight). His average finish of 9.0 leads all active drivers (minimum of four starts).
The 29-year-old driver has six top-five finishes in the last 11 road course races, including three in the last five events.
Since the introduction of the Next Gen race car, Elliott leads all drivers in top-five finishes on road courses (nine) and has the third-most top 10s (11). His average finish (10.24), points scored (549) and laps led (147) on serpentine tracks in the Next Gen car all rank second overall.
The 2020 Cup Series champion is the only driver to finish inside the top 20 in all 15 races this season. For the second straight year, he’s completed all but one lap through 15 Cup events. Elliott’s average finish of 11.73 in 2025 ranks fourth.

 

 
24 WILLIAM BYRON
 

Age: 27 (Nov. 29, 1997)
 

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
 

Last Week: 28th (Michigan)
 

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
 

Standings: 1st
 
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No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet
 

 

 

2025

 

Cup Career

 

Road Courses

Races

15

 

267

 

33

Wins

1

 

14

 

2

Poles

2

 

15

 

5

Top 5

7

 

61

 

6

Top 10

9

 

113

 

13

Laps Led

768

 

3,746

 

259

Stage Wins

7

 

30

 

4

Average Finish

10.5

 

14.9

 

15.8

 

William Byron has sat atop the NASCAR Cup Series standings after 12 of 15 races this season, including a 41-point lead following Sunday’s event at Michigan International Speedway. He has collected 576 points in 2025, the most by any driver after 15 starts in the Next Gen era.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has led laps in 12 Cup events in 2025 – the most races a Hendrick Motorsports driver has led at this point in a season since Jimmie Johnson in 2014. Byron’s 768 laps led this year represent his personal best at the 15-race mark.
In 2025, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 8.1 and an average finish of 10.5 – both best in the Cup Series field.
On road courses during the Next Gen era, Byron has two wins (tied for second), six top-five finishes (tied for third) and eight top 10s (tied for eighth). He has collected 513 points on serpentine layouts (sixth overall) and led 137 laps (third). His average finish of 12.94 over 18 Next Gen starts on road courses ranks sixth.

 

 
48 ALEX BOWMAN
 

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)
 

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
 

Last Week: 36th (Michigan)
 

Crew Chief: Blake Harris
 

Standings: 13th
 
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No. 48 Ally Chevrolet
 

 

 

2025

 

Cup Career

 

Road Courses

Races

15

 

340

 

36

Wins

0

 

8

 

1

Poles

2

 

7

 

0

Top 5

2

 

42

 

7

Top 10

7

 

103

 

15

Laps Led

110

 

1,478

 

19

Stage Wins

0

 

7

 

0

Average Finish

20.3

 

19.4

 

15.3

 

Alex Bowman has been steady on road courses in the Next Gen era, scoring five top-10 finishes in the last nine road races. His most recent NASCAR Cup Series win came in July 2024 at the Chicago Street Race. In March, he finished ninth at Circuit of The Americas, the first road course on the 2025 schedule.
Bowman is set to compete in Sunday’s inaugural Cup race in Mexico City after being evaluated this week for back pain following a hard crash at Michigan. As a precaution, Hendrick Motorsports will have Anthony Alfredo on site in a backup capacity. Alfredo is entered in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and has prepared extensively for the road course as the organization’s primary simulator driver.
Through 15 races in 2025, Bowman has two pole positions, making him one of only three drivers with multiple poles this season.
Ally and HendrickCars.com are teaming up again to give fans the chance to win prizes with this year’s “Open Road Sweepstakes.” Fans can win VIP experiences at various races throughout the season and one lucky winner will hit the open road in a Chevy Silverado LT Trail Boss with an Airstream camper. Fans can stop by the Ally Fan Zone to enter the sweepstakes in-person and check out the camper. Fans can also enter at ally.com/sweepstakes/nascar.

 

 
HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /
Hendrick Motorsports
 

 

2025

 

All-Time

 

Road Courses

Races

15

 

1,396

 

103

Wins

4

 

316*

 

31*

Poles

5**

 

258*

 

27*

Top 5

21*

 

1,300*

 

99*

Top 10

34*

 

2,221*

 

163*

Laps Led

1,824*

 

84,136*

 

2,430*

Stage Wins

15*

 

130

 

16

 
*Most all time
**Tied for most all time

Through 15 races in 2025, Hendrick Motorsports enters Mexico City leading all NASCAR Cup Series organizations in laps led, top-five finishes, top 10s, stage wins and average finish. The team has led 43% of all laps raced this season.
A Hendrick Motorsports driver has led the regular-season standings following 13 straight races, with William Byron on top for 12 of them.
Hendrick Motorsports has finished in the top five in every Cup event this season, the only team to do so. Dating to last year, the organization has posted at least one top-five finish in 23 consecutive races, matching its second-longest streak ever.
With Kyle Larson’s fifth-place performance Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports reached 1,300 top-five finishes. The organization also extended its streak of races with at least one lap led to 30, the longest active run in the Cup Series.
The team’s engines have powered 13 pole positions and 13 race wins across all NASCAR national series in 2025, including four points-paying Cup victories and one in the exhibition Clash.
On road courses in the Next Gen era, Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams in poles, wins, top-five results, top 10s, laps led and average finish. It has won five of the last eight road races.

 

 
QUOTABLE /
 

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on going to Mexico City for a NASCAR Cup Series race: “I really love the idea of going to Mexico City and bringing the Cup Series to another country and I know we have a lot of Mexican race fans but it’s probably hard for them to come to a race. So, bringing our sport to them is going to be great. Having Daniel Suarez as a part of the Cup Series, too, I think is huge for the event. So, yeah, I think it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere. I watch the Formula One race (in Mexico City), and you see football events or soccer events and those fans are just incredible. They’re very passionate. I hope they bring that passion to the race and we can put on a good show and hopefully get to come back more and more and maybe potentially travel to other countries.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on NASCAR heading to Mexico City: “(NASCAR has) been willing to try some things and not all of them have worked, and I think that’s OK. But some of them have been really great ideas, and I think leaving the country is probably a pretty good one in the long-term scheme of the growth of the sport and the type of audience we can reach. We’ll kind of see how it goes, obviously, the logistics of doing that versus going to Europe or something along those lines would be totally different. I think it’s a good way to kind of dip your toes in the water and see what it’s like from a travel perspective. I think the race track is kind of tried and true and it’ll be a good show.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on Sunday’s race in Mexico: “I’m excited to get to the track and see what it’s like. I was in the Chevy simulator to get ready for it, and hopefully that means we can get up to speed pretty quickly Friday in practice. Our road course program is strong so that gives me some confidence.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on the Cup Series going to Mexico for the first time: “I’m really looking forward to racing in Mexico this weekend. It’s always special to bring our sport to new places and feel the excitement from fans who don’t always get to see us race in person. Our No. 48 Ally Chevy team has had speed, but we haven’t had the results to show for it lately. We’re ready to turn our luck around and put together a strong race from start to finish.”

Hendrick Motorsports PR

The NASCAR Cup Series makes history this weekend with its first international points-paying event since 1958. NASCAR’s premier series tackles Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico, for the Viva Mexico 250.

Date: June 15, 2025
Track: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez (Mexico City, Mexico)
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: Prime Video
Stages: 20/45/100

Date	Time	Session	TV
Fri., June 13	1:05 p.m. ET	Practice 1	Prime Video
Fri., June 13	3:00 p.m. ET	Practice 2	Prime Video
Sat., June 14	Noon ET	Qualifying	Prime Video
Sun., June 15	3:00 p.m. ET	Viva Mexico 250	Prime Video

VIEWING GUIDE: How to Watch the Viva Mexico 250

International Flavor for NASCAR

Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 will be the first international points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event since 1958, and the first ever for the series in Mexico. There have been two events in NASCAR’s premier series in Canada, with both contested during the 1950s. Lee Petty won at Canadian National Exposition Stadium in Toronto in that last international event in 1958.

There have been exhibition races abroad since then, such as races at Australia’s Calder Park Thunderdome, as well as the Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. The NASCAR Xfinity Series competed in points-paying events at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez from 2005 to 2008, and both the Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have raced in Canada in recent years.

However, this will be a first-of-its-kind race for the NASCAR Cup Series, taking place at the home of Formula 1’s Mexico City Grand Prix. It will be a brand-new challenge for the series and its competitors, which creates a degree of unpredictability.

A Homecoming for Daniel Suarez

Naturally, the crowd at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will be cheering on one of their own this weekend, Daniel Suarez of Monterrey.

Suarez became the first – and to date, only – foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR National Series championship when he claimed the NASCAR Xfinity Series title in 2016. He also claimed the first NASCAR Cup Series victory for a Mexican-born driver when he won at Sonoma Raceway in 2022.

Suarez will undoubtedly be looking for a strong showing in his return to Mexico, and he has performed well at road courses in the past. Earlier this season at Circuit of The Americas, Suarez qualified fifth but finished 37th after being involved in a mid-race incident.

Kicking Off Mid-Season Road Course Flurry

The Viva Mexico 250 will be one of three road course events over the next five races for the NASCAR Cup Series. After 12 consecutive oval events, the NASCAR stars will have to get very comfortable turning both left and right over the next month.

Of course, Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250 will be a new challenge, with only a handful of drivers having any experience at the old configuration of the circuit from the years the NASCAR Xfinity Series raced there in the mid-2000s.

After races at Pocono Raceway and EchoPark Speedway, the series then has back-to-back road course races on the streets of Chicago and at Sonoma Raceway. This stretch could provide plenty of changes to the path towards the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, offering road course experts a chance to win their way into the postseason.

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