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Motorsports
Nascar marks Prime Video debut with impressive audience of 2.7m for Coca-Cola 600
Nascar made its Cup Series debut on Prime Video with an average of 2.72 million viewers for last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. Confirmed: Viewership falls 12.2 per cent year-over-year (YoY), but last year’s audience of 3.1 million was on the main Fox channel Audience grows 10.8 per cent compared to the average viewership on […]

Nascar made its Cup Series debut on Prime Video with an average of 2.72 million viewers for last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.
Confirmed:
- Viewership falls 12.2 per cent year-over-year (YoY), but last year’s audience of 3.1 million was on the main Fox channel
- Audience grows 10.8 per cent compared to the average viewership on cable so far this season
- Median age of audience watching the race was 55.8 years old, six years younger than the average this year
Context:
On the surface, this result continues the declining viewership for the Coca-Cola 600. The race dropped below four million viewers for the first time in 2020 and now it has breached the three million mark for the first time ever. But this was Nascar’s debut on Prime Video, the first time a Cup Series race had been shown exclusively on a streaming platform.
In this context, hitting 2.72 million viewers is quietly impressive. Nascar commissioner Steve Phelps expected viewership on Prime Video to be “at least as good as what we’d see on cable”, so its first result has exceeded expectations. Cable has averaged in the region of 2.1 million and 2.3 million over the past five years.
It remains to be seen whether viewership will remain this strong across the five-race run on Prime Video but this is certainly a good start for Nascar. The series has also succeeded in its goal to reach younger viewers, something that Prime Video’s global head of sports Jay Marine emphasised in the build-up to the first race.
Coming next:
Nascar’s next race on Prime Video is at Nashville Superspeedway on 1st June, a rare race in the Nascar calendar that has seen its viewership increase each year since rejoining the schedule in 2021.
The series will also be boosted by a new partnership with DirecTV which sees all Prime Video races being made available on DirecTV For Business. Commercial premises across the US will now have access to the four remaining races on Amazon’s slate.
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Motorsports
Carson Hocevar vs Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Does the Spire Motorsports Driver Expect Payback from the Daytona 500 Winner?
Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. emerged as the most talked-about names following the Nashville race, overshadowing even race winner Ryan Blaney. But as tempers cool, the drama appears to be losing steam. After a post-race conversation between the two, tensions seem to have eased, though Hocevar isn’t ruling out the possibility of payback. During […]

Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. emerged as the most talked-about names following the Nashville race, overshadowing even race winner Ryan Blaney. But as tempers cool, the drama appears to be losing steam. After a post-race conversation between the two, tensions seem to have eased, though Hocevar isn’t ruling out the possibility of payback.
During media availability ahead of the Michigan race, Hocevar was asked about his exchange with Stenhouse Jr., who had confirmed that the No. 77 driver reached out. “Yeah, I mean it was productive,” Hocevar replied. He acknowledged that both he and Stenhouse Jr. carry reputations for aggressive driving.
That shared edge, he said, was at the heart of their discussion. Despite their hard-nosed styles, Hocevar pointed out that they’ve typically raced each other clean, and there had been no previous bad blood. “I thought it was productive and, based off his comments, I felt like it was received productive,” Hocevar said, suggesting mutual respect remains intact.
When pressed on whether he expects retaliation — be it a scuffle off-track or a bump on it — the 22-year-old dismissed the notion of a physical altercation. He said, “Number one, no! And number two, I mean, they both hurt in some aspect… one physically and one financially. So, I mean, ultimately, it’s fun for fans.”
Does Denny Hamlin think there would be a retaliation move from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.?
Although Hocevar doesn’t see a physical confrontation with Stenhouse Jr. on the horizon, the latter’s past dust-up with Kyle Busch suggests that another flare-up isn’t entirely off the table. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin seems convinced that if Stenhouse Jr. gets the chance, Hocevar’s car will feel the brunt of it.
Speaking on Actions Detrimental, Hamlin didn’t mince words: “You can take this to the book. Ricky Stenhouse will absolutely wreck Carson Hocevar sometime in the near future. That’s just a fact. I put this week’s salary on it. I am not kidding. He ain’t going to punch him in the face. But he will absolutely wreck him.”
Hamlin characterized Stenhouse Jr. as a driver who listens to the noise and isn’t afraid to lean into it. In his view, Hocevar would be wise to brace for impact because, sooner or later, payback may come on four wheels.
Motorsports
Chase Briscoe earns third consecutive NASCAR Cup pole, beating Kyle Busch
In NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Michigan, top speeds were reaching 200 mph with drivers running mostly wide open all around the two-mile speedway. But the best to do it was once again the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe. He has now earned pole position for three straight race weekends […]

In NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Michigan, top speeds were reaching 200 mph with drivers running mostly wide open all around the two-mile speedway.
But the best to do it was once again the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe. He has now earned pole position for three straight race weekends and four total this season, posting a fast lap of 195.514mph.
“Tried to run low,” Briscoe told NASCAR on Prime. “I felt like with all of us running wide open fairly easily, if you could just cut a lot of distance, it would be better. I ran low, but then I ended up way high on exit, and I felt like the guys that kind of opened up their entry would maybe beat me back to the line.”
Briscoe was surprised the lap was good enough for pole, but he’ll happily take it. Briscoe hasn’t won a race since joining JGR, and he hopes a strong Saturday can finally translate into a winning weekend.
“We’ve been able to do that three weeks in a row and we haven’t really been able to execute with it so hopefully you know, third time’s the charm and hopefully we can finally get one on Sunday.”
Busch joins Briscoe on the front row

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Ronda Churchill Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Joining Briscoe on the front row will be the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Kyle Busch. This is his second front row start of the year after qualifying second at Talladega. He is in the middle of the longest winless streak of his career with over 70 races since his last trip to Victory Lane.
‘It did (surprise me),” said Busch when asked about the lap, as he appeared to struggle in practice. “We were a little bit down on the board there in practice and just didn’t have a good feel for the race car early on the tires. It got a little bit better with laps, but still, I didn’t go faster. I just ran the same speed the whole time. We made a lot of adjustments on it, though. I wasn’t really feeling the right front tire.
“It felt a little sketch coming to the checkered off of Turn 4, using up a little more race track than I wanted to in our Chevrolet. But posted a good lap. So, happy with that. Start up front, we can see the front, get a good pit stall selection and track position is everything these days so let’s go hold that.”
Denny Hamlin qualified third, William Byron fourth, and Kyle Larson, who went for a wild ride in a World of Outlaws sprint car race last night, was fifth.
Chris Buescher, Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith filled out the remainder of the top ten.
Tyler Reddick, who is the defending winner of this race, qualified 12th. Nashville winner Ryan Blaney qualified 13th as he tries to go back-to-back. Both of these drivers suffered cut tires in practice, but avoided damaging their cars.
Photos from Michigan – Practice & Qualifying
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Motorsports
Former NFL star has vital role in NASCAR after injury forced retirement – Motorsport – Sports
Former Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Marshall McFadden had a three-year career in the NFL as a special teams ace, before retiring and moving into motorsports – now working with Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain’s team. A standout from South Carolina State, McFadden defied the odds to make to it […]

Former Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Marshall McFadden had a three-year career in the NFL as a special teams ace, before retiring and moving into motorsports – now working with Trackhouse Racing with Ross Chastain’s team.
A standout from South Carolina State, McFadden defied the odds to make to it to the NFL, playing for three teams before retiring early due to injuries.
After his football career was over, McFadden found a love for motorsports while wanting to get back into competitive action – eventually finding his way into a role in NASCAR.
McFadden is now a few years into his role as a jackman, playing a vital role for Chastain’s team in lifting the car during a pit stop, allowing for necessary changes to be made to his No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1 vehicle.
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Somewhat of a thankless role in NASCAR, McFadden was praised for his work at the Coca-Cola 600, where Chastain’s team were the quickest in the pit as he went on to win the race – his first win in the Cup Series since 2023.
Chastain’s crew consists of five members, a tire carrier, two tire changers, a fuler and a jackman (McFadden).
As well as working with Chastain, McFadden has also been in the pit crew for Shane von Gisbergen and Daniel Suarez – both who race for Trackhouse Racing.
Speaking on his transition from the NFL to NASCAR, McFadden had told the Winston-Salem Journal: “Being in the NFL you have to be the ultimate professional. You have to be ready to wake up and compete every day.
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“After being in the NFL and college football, it gave me the perfect ingredients to cross over to NASCAR. Here, that same professionalism and athleticism applies.
“The understanding of how things are done are similar, and that’s how I was able to work my way up to being a jackman.”
Motorsports
Kevin Harvick’s Team Reveals Eye-Opening Hendrick Motorsports Stat Ahead of Special Michigan Weekend
As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard. In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted […]

As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted a striking statistic that reveals Ford’s recent dominance at Michigan, raising eyebrows and putting added pressure on Chevy powerhouses like Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick’s FOX Crew Uncovers Ford Dominance As Chevrolet Looks To Strike Back
The world’s largest automobile manufacturer, Toyota, may have entered NASCAR in 2007, but the spotlight has consistently remained on the storied rivalry between American powerhouses Ford and Chevrolet.
Now, with the NASCAR bandwagon rolling into MIS, set in the heart of America’s auto industry, Mamba Smith was quick to point out a potential vulnerability in HMS.
He asked, “Do you know the last time a Hendrick car went to victory lane at Michigan?” To which, Harvick answered, “Probably been a while.”
Following this, the co-host noted that HMS’s last win at the 2-mile facility came way back in 2014, when four-time champion Jeff Gordon won the Pure Michigan 400 in his No. 24 HMS Chevy. Meanwhile, Chevy’s last one came when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in 2016, plotting the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevy into the victory lane.
He was followed by the 2014 Cup Series champion, Harvick, who at that time piloted the No. 4 SHR Chevy. In fact, back then, four of the top-5 cars were Chevrolets with Team Penske ace Joey Logano being the only exception.
But times have changed, and Ford now has its chokehold on the facility, as Ford-backed drivers have won all the Cup Series events at Michigan from 2018 until Tyler Reddick broke the streak last year. Out of which, Harvick won five races.
The former SHR veteran then revealed what he believes is the key to Ford’s success at MIS. He said, “I think they had a lot of power. Doug Yates and his team put a lot of emphasis on going to Michigan. I think that was part of the RFK, Rousch, but I think that the other piece was, they also made a lot of downforce.”
Harvick continued, “I think with this car, the Ford seems to have a little bit of less drag, it’s a little bit tightly balanced than the other cars, and the powerband of the Ford with where you run the rpm, fits the Ford engine very well. It’s like they designed everything around Michigan.”
More: Kevin Harvick Reveals How CARS Tour Racing Rekindled Connection With His Lifelong Fans
As the green flag nears at Michigan, all eyes will be on whether Chevrolet – especially Hendrick Motorsports – can break Ford’s stronghold on their home turf. With history, horsepower, and pride on the line, Sunday’s showdown is shaping up to be a worthy battle.
Motorsports
Full starting lineup at Michigan
Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020. Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a […]

Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020.
Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval, and the starting lineup is determined using the regular qualifying format used for non-superspeedway and non-short track ovals.
Qualifying is much more straightforward this year than it has been in past years. Last year, there were qualifying groups and row-by-row lane designation, and there was a second round shootout for the pole position. Additionally, the qualifying order was determined by a four-variable metric used since 2020.
This year, each driver simply makes one single-lap qualifying attempt, and those speeds determine the full 36-driver starting lineup. There are no qualifying groups, no row-by-row lane designations, and no second round shootout. There is also a new qualifying metric which features only two variables.
A full breakdown of the new formula can be found here.
Follow along with our FireKeepers Casino 400 qualifying updates from Michigan.
NASCAR at Michigan: Full starting lineup
1st – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2nd – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
3rd – Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4th – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5th – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6th – Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
7th – Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
8th – Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
9th – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
10th – Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
11th – Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
12th – Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
13th – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
14th – Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
15th – Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
16th – Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
17th – Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
18th – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
19th – A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20th – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
21st – John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
22nd – Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23rd – Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
24th – Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
25th – Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
26th – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27th – Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
28th – Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
29th – Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
30th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
31st – Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
32nd – Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
33rd – Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
34th – Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
35th – Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
36th – Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Amazon Prime Video is set to provide live coverage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 from Michigan International Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 8.
Motorsports
Carson Hocevar living the dream back home in Michigan as aggressive, headline-grabbing NASCAR driver – News-Herald
By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]

By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]
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