Daytona Motor Mouths: Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 arrive for Kyle Larson The guys review the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and preview Kyle Larson’s double attempt of the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. In modern-era stock-car racing, where you start isn’t nearly as big a deal as it was in your grandpa’s day. Today’s […]
Daytona Motor Mouths: Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 arrive for Kyle Larson
The guys review the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and preview Kyle Larson’s double attempt of the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
In modern-era stock-car racing, where you start isn’t nearly as big a deal as it was in your grandpa’s day.
Today’s cars are more evenly matched, separated by mere eye-blinks of the stopwatch, from the front row to the southern reaches of the starting lineup. Also, especially at NASCAR’s highest level, the races are long, and a lot can go wrong to wipe out a certain driver’s speed advantage from pole day.
Yep, they’re long. And this one — the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte — is the longest.
He might be long forgotten by race’s end, but Chase Briscoe starts up front, alongside the man of the weekend, Kyle Larson. If all goes well and Larson arrives in time from his second Indy 500 start, he’ll have a nice starting spot at the Coke 600.
Watch Coca-Cola 600 live on Prime Video
10 fastest qualifiers for NASCAR Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte
Chase Briscoe: 182.852
Kyle Larson: 182.729
William Byron: 182.642
Chris Buescher: 182.063
AJ Allmendinger: 181.916
John Hunter Nemechek: 181.665
Ty Gibbs: 181.531
Noah Gragson: 181.153
Alex Bowman: 181.123
Christopher Bell: 181.117
Coke 600 starting lineup: Kyle Larson on front row
Hocevar Fined, to Attend Sensitivity Training For Mexico Comments
Carson Hocevar will face internal sanctions from his Spire Motorsports team following comments that he made on a livestream on his Twitch channel this past week, in regard to the conditions of Mexico, the country, which hosted last weekend’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. On Tuesday evening, Spire Motorsports revealed, following close consultation […]
Carson Hocevar will face internal sanctions from his Spire Motorsports team following comments that he made on a livestream on his Twitch channel this past week, in regard to the conditions of Mexico, the country, which hosted last weekend’s Viva Mexico 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
On Tuesday evening, Spire Motorsports revealed, following close consultation with NASCAR, that the team has chosen to fine the driver of its No. 77 Chevrolet $50,000, and Hocevar will be required to attend mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.
The $50,000 fine will be divided among three charities (Cruz Roja Mexicana, Un Kilo de Ayuda, and Fondo Unido Mexico), which serve Mexican communities.
Spire Motorsports issued the following statement to go along with the announcement of the penalties enforced upon Hocevar:
“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. 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 Motorsports has informed NASCAR of these penalties, and NASCAR has confirmed that our team-imposed discipline satisfies 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.
“We look forward to turning the page by racing hard, representing our partners, and living our values on and off the track.”
Hocevar is very active on Twitch, where he will conversate with his passionate fans, while also simultaneously playing iRacing. While Hocevar has had some eye-raising comments on the stream before, the comments last week crossed a line.
During the stream, Hocevar was asked about the race being in Mexico, to which Hocevar responded, “This whole experience, if the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn’t such a sh-t hole, if the track limits were a little better enforced, if it was going to be a little better race and it [didn’t] feel so locked down, like you can’t leave anywhere, it would be a great experience. It would be an absolute great experience. If you take all those out, it’s unbelievable. it’s great.”
After the comments from his Twitch stream started gaining traction after Sunday’s Viva Mexico 250, Hocevar issued a statement to his personal X account addressing his comments.
“Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should ever give an opinion about what any place is like other than Portage, Michigan.
“When I answered that question on a stream, I was skeptical about the trip so far and believed 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 of times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen, my opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments, by the race I ran, and I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway.
“Count this as another lesson for me in a season I’ve learned so much. Don’t believe everything you hear without seeing it yourself. If anyone should give anyone or any place the benefit of the doubt, it’s me. 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.”
Hocevar, who has been zeroing in on his first career NASCAR Cup Series win in recent weeks, did not have a great outing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Hocevar finished 34th, a lap down in the race, and made contact with his rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the closing laps, which sent Stenhouse spinning out.
Following the race, Stenhouse confronted Hocevar on pit road and threatened to beat him up when they returned to the states.
Heading into this weekend’s The Great American Getaway at Pocono Raceway, Hocevar ranks 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings.
Federal judge calls on NASCAR, teams to settle bitter antitrust battle
By JENNA FRYER CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina grilled both NASCAR and the teams — 23XI Racing, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins — on what they hoped to accomplish in the antitrust battle that has loomed over the stock car series for months.
“It’s hard to picture a winner if this goes to the mat — or to the flag — in this case,” Bell said. “It scares me to death to think about what all this is costing.”
23XI and Front Row were the only two organizations that refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it offer from NASCAR last September on a new charter agreement. Charters are NASCAR’s version of a franchise model, with each charter guaranteeing entry to the lucrative Cup Series races and a stable revenue stream; 13 other teams signed the agreements last fall, with some contending they had little choice.
The nearly two-hour hearing was on the teams’ request to toss out NASCAR’s countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of “willfully” violating antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitive collective conduct in negotiations. NASCAR said it learned in discovery that Polk in messages among the 15 teams tried to form a “cartel” type operation that would include threats of boycotting races and a refusal to individually negotiate.
One of NASCAR’s attorneys even cited a Benjamin Franklin quote Polk allegedly sent to the 15 organizations that read: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, was angered by the revelation in open court, contending it is privileged information only revealed in discovery. Kessler also argued none of NASCAR’s claims in the countersuit prove anything illegal was done by Polk or the Race Team Alliance during the charter negotiation process.
“NASCAR knows it has no defense to the monopolization case so they have come up with this claim about joint negotiations, which they agreed to, never objected to, and now suddenly it’s an antitrust violation,” Kessler said outside court. “It makes absolutely no sense. It’s not going to help them deflect from the monopolizing they have done in this market and the harm they have inflicted.”
He added that “the attacks” on Polk were “false, unfounded and frankly beneath the dignity of my adversary to even make those type of comments, which he should know better about.”
NASCAR attorneys said Polk improperly tried to pressure all 15 teams that comprise the RTA to stand together collectively in negotiations and encouraged boycotting qualifying races for the 2024 Daytona 500. NASCAR, they said, took the threat seriously because the teams had previously boycotted a scheduled meeting with series executives.
“NASCAR knew the next step was they could boycott a race, which was a threat they had to take seriously,” attorney Lawrence Buterman said on behalf of NASCAR.
Kessler said outside court the two teams are open to settlement talks, but noted NASCAR has said it will not renegotiate the charters. NASCAR’s attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.
Bell did not indicate when he’d rule, other than saying he would decide quickly.
Preliminary injunction status
Kessler said he would file an appeal by the end of the week after a three-judge federal appellate panel dismissed a preliminary injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI and Front Row as chartered teams while the court fight is being resolved.
Kessler wants the issue heard by the full appellate court. The injunction has no bearing on the merits of the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in December. The earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal or whenever the appeals process has been exhausted.
There are 36 chartered cars for the 40-car field each week. If 23XI and Front Row are not recognized as chartered, their six cars would have to compete as “open” teams — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money guaranteed for chartered teams.
Discovery issues
Some of the arguments Tuesday centered on Jonathan Marshall, the executive director of the RTA. NASCAR has demanded text messages and emails from Marshall and says it has received roughly 100 texts and over 55,000 pages of emails.
NASCAR wants all texts between Marshall and 55 people from 2020 through 2024 that contain specific search terms. Attorneys for the RTA said that covers more than 3,000 texts, some of which are privileged, and some that have been “deleted to save storage or he didn’t need them anymore.”
That issue is set to be heard during a hearing next Tuesday before Bell.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Federal judge calls on NASCAR, teams to settle bitter antitrust battle
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina grilled both NASCAR […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge urged NASCAR and two of its teams, including one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to settle their increasingly acrimonious legal fight that spilled over into tense arguments during a hearing on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina grilled both NASCAR and the teams — 23XI Racing, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins — on what they hoped to accomplish in the antitrust battle that has loomed over the stock car series for months.
“It’s hard to picture a winner if this goes to the mat — or to the flag — in this case,” Bell said. “It scares me to death to think about what all this is costing.”
23XI and Front Row were the only two organizations that refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it offer from NASCAR last September on a new charter agreement. Charters are NASCAR’s version of a franchise model, with each charter guaranteeing entry to the lucrative Cup Series races and a stable revenue stream; 13 other teams signed the agreements last fall, with some contending they had little choice.
The nearly two-hour hearing was on the teams’ request to toss out NASCAR’s countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of “willfully” violating antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitive collective conduct in negotiations. NASCAR said it learned in discovery that Polk in messages among the 15 teams tried to form a “cartel” type operation that would include threats of boycotting races and a refusal to individually negotiate.
One of NASCAR’s attorneys even cited a Benjamin Franklin quote Polk allegedly sent to the 15 organizations that read: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney representing the teams, was angered by the revelation in open court, contending it is privileged information only revealed in discovery. Kessler also argued none of NASCAR’s claims in the countersuit prove anything illegal was done by Polk or the Race Team Alliance during the charter negotiation process.
“NASCAR knows it has no defense to the monopolization case so they have come up with this claim about joint negotiations, which they agreed to, never objected to, and now suddenly it’s an antitrust violation,” Kessler said outside court. “It makes absolutely no sense. It’s not going to help them deflect from the monopolizing they have done in this market and the harm they have inflicted.”
He added that “the attacks” on Polk were “false, unfounded and frankly beneath the dignity of my adversary to even make those type of comments, which he should know better about.”
NASCAR attorneys said Polk improperly tried to pressure all 15 teams that comprise the RTA to stand together collectively in negotiations and encouraged boycotting qualifying races for the 2024 Daytona 500. NASCAR, they said, took the threat seriously because the teams had previously boycotted a scheduled meeting with series executives.
“NASCAR knew the next step was they could boycott a race, which was a threat they had to take seriously,” attorney Lawrence Buterman said on behalf of NASCAR.
Kessler said outside court the two teams are open to settlement talks, but noted NASCAR has said it will not renegotiate the charters. NASCAR’s attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.
Bell did not indicate when he’d rule, other than saying he would decide quickly.
Preliminary injunction status
Kessler said he would file an appeal by the end of the week after a three-judge federal appellate panel dismissed a preliminary injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI and Front Row as chartered teams while the court fight is being resolved.
Kessler wants the issue heard by the full appellate court. The injunction has no bearing on the merits of the case, which is scheduled to go to trial in December. The earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal or whenever the appeals process has been exhausted.
There are 36 chartered cars for the 40-car field each week. If 23XI and Front Row are not recognized as chartered, their six cars would have to compete as “open” teams — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money guaranteed for chartered teams.
Discovery issues
Some of the arguments Tuesday centered on Jonathan Marshall, the executive director of the RTA. NASCAR has demanded text messages and emails from Marshall and says it has received roughly 100 texts and over 55,000 pages of emails.
NASCAR wants all texts between Marshall and 55 people from 2020 through 2024 that contain specific search terms. Attorneys for the RTA said that covers more than 3,000 texts, some of which are privileged, and some that have been “deleted to save storage or he didn’t need them anymore.”
That issue is set to be heard during a hearing next Tuesday before Bell.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City | 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.
“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.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Judge expresses concern over suit vs. NASCAR, asks what 23XI, Front Row want
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the moment 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports collectively filed an antitrust lawsuit last fall against NASCAR and NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France, the most-asked question has been, what exactly do 23XI and Front Row want if they prevail in federal court? On Tuesday, after receiving that question from U.S. […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the moment 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports collectively filed an antitrust lawsuit last fall against NASCAR and NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France, the most-asked question has been, what exactly do 23XI and Front Row want if they prevail in federal court?
On Tuesday, after receiving that question from U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell, attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represents 23XI and Front Row, laid out what his clients seek.
Among the possibilities, Kessler explained, was forcing NASCAR to divest itself of the racetracks it owns, 11 of which host premier Cup Series races. The plaintiffs also want any financial damages to be tripled, and the ability to compete in non-NASCAR-sanctioned races using the NASCAR-exclusive Next Gen car.
The goals of 23XI and Front Row were among the highlights from a nearly two-hour hearing centered around NASCAR’s counterclaim that 23XI, Front Row and 23XI co-owner Curtis Polk “agreed to a scheme to pressure NASCAR to accept their collusive terms, including by engaging in media campaigns, interfering with NASCAR’s broadcast agreement negotiations, threatening boycotts of NASCAR events and engaging in a group boycott of a NASCAR Team Owner Council Meeting.”
In its counterclaim filed in March, NASCAR alleged that Polk operated as the ringleader in conspiring against NASCAR as the league and the 15 teams that hold charters — the equivalent of a franchise in other sports, which includes assurances of certain monetary gains — negotiated a new charter agreement.
In court on Tuesday, NASCAR’s attorneys argued that the fact that the teams boycotted a planned meeting with NASCAR demonstrated a willingness to boycott a race. NASCAR has previously argued that the teams discussed boycotting the 2024 Daytona qualifying races. On Tuesday, Kessler rebutted that claim, saying there was no conspiracy by the teams and that boycotting a meeting is merely part of the negotiating process.
Bell did not render a verdict Tuesday, but with a trial date set for Dec. 1 and both sides far apart, he did issue a warning at the conclusion of the hearing. “Hard to picture a real winner if this goes to the mat, or the flag, in this case,” Bell said.
Afterward, Kessler told reporters his side was open to a settlement, but that NASCAR was uninterested in doing so.
“We’ve always indicated that if there could be a fair settlement breach, that we could come to something that’s good for everybody, I’m a lawyer, I am always open to settlement,” Kessler said. “I think my clients are always open to settlement.
“(If) they’re not going to agree to anything, we’ll see them at trial. We are very much open to what all the judges are saying … this is a case that should be settled and worked out so that everyone could go forward racing. The fans don’t have to read and hear about all of this, and could have a better system for everyone.”
Kessler also said 23XI and Front Row would seek a rehearing before the full Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals as they attempt to maintain their charter status for the 2025 season. Three judges earlier this month overturned an injunction the teams had been granted to maintain their charter status, after NASCAR won its appeal.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think the three judges, if you read their opinion, actually dealt with the hard issues, and that’s what the circuit will need to do,” Kessler said.
