Q. I got to tell you, Ross, when you started 40th today, did you think that this was even possible? ROSS CHASTAIN: Marty, I’m going to soak this in. Q. You should. ROSS CHASTAIN: Did I? Yes. When I left the shop last night, I went over and sat in this car for the first time. It […]
Q.I got to tell you, Ross, when you started 40th today, did you think that this was even possible?
ROSS CHASTAIN: Marty, I’m going to soak this in.
Q.You should.
ROSS CHASTAIN: Did I? Yes. When I left the shop last night, I went over and sat in this car for the first time. It was about 10 o’clock when I left. They worked until 2:30. They were back at 5:30 this morning. Most of them drive 30, 45 minutes home. A little shower, I think. I don’t even know if they slept. Back there at 5:30. They get this thing ready, and that’s the dedication it takes from Trackhouse.
There was people there that had their Saturdays off yesterday, and they came in. For this Jockey Chevy and the McCrea family, to carry them — he was riding with me, Mr. McCrea. His family is here with Allie and mom and sister, brother. That’s what this weekend is all about is to think about and remember the ones that sacrificed so much for us.
Al Niece, my truck team owner, Marine veteran, so happy to drive for him. Thought we were going to get one on Friday night.
For tonight Trackhouse, Team Chevy, Bush Light, the Moose, Acceptance Insurance, Wendy’s. I’ve got to look. It’s been so long I feel like.
The McCrea family told me to be a sponge. That was something that their dad told them a lot. I got to tell you, I didn’t feel much like a sponge tonight. I was rattling around out there.
To drive on that final run in the World 600 and pass two cars that had been way better all night. Phil Surgen wanted me to pit two laps earlier. I went two laps longer just out of a little bit of confusion. Man, that paid off at the end. These Goodyear Eagles held on longer because they were a little bit fresher.
Holy cow, we just won the world 600!
Q.Walk me through the highs and lows of the weekend, Ross, because you were in the turn three and four wall in the middle of practice and then somehow you wind up in victory lane. How did you, first of all, get through that moment Saturday and then pull off the final pass on William Byron tonight?
ROSS CHASTAIN: Well, how did I do that? My team built me another car. For about an hour and a half we thought we were going to have to fix the primary. That would have been fine. Then NASCAR said, No, there’s something bent, too much, so go build another one, and we did. That’s how we did that.
How we drove through the field tonight was just stayed in it. I didn’t get too happy when I was passing cars. I didn’t get too sad when we caught that first green flag cycle on the wrong side of it.
With the goal of eating one of these Enza Zaden Florida watermelons, this thing is fresh from Florida. It just came up from our family farm this week — last week I guess we came up. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that’s your watermelons you’re getting right now, so y’all better go buy a dang watermelon to celebrate.
I want to see videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I want to see it. Florida watermelons are in season, but I passed them because my team built me a car and they were there all night.
Q.What a statement win for Trackhouse Racing and Ross Chase Action News, his first ever crowned jewel victory. He gets it in the Coca-Cola 600.
Spire Motorsports punishes Carson Hocevar for derogatory comments about Mexico City | Associated Press
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.
Illinois taxpayers provide millions for upcoming NASCAR, golf events – Muddy River News
Government officials are preparing to close streets in downtown Chicago ahead of next month’s NASCAR race, funded in part by state taxpayers. The $55.2 billion Illinois budget signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday includes $5 million to Chicago for costs associated with operating expenses for NASCAR races July 5 and 6. State Sen. Don […]
Government officials are preparing to close streets in downtown Chicago ahead of next month’s NASCAR race, funded in part by state taxpayers.
The $55.2 billion Illinois budget signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday includes $5 million to Chicago for costs associated with operating expenses for NASCAR races July 5 and 6.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, questioned the Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee on May 31, hours before the General Assembly passed the record-high spending plan.
“So if it’s such a wonderful economic development program to bring these folks into town every year and it brings so much economic income to the city, why do we need to subsidize it?” DeWitte asked.
State Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, said NASCAR weekend in Chicago has an economic impact worth tens of millions of dollars.
“These are investments in communities. There’s our investments in our tourism. These are investments in showcasing our state,” Sims responded.
DeWitte noted that lawmakers also appropriated $1 million for 2026 Presidents Cup golf at Medinah Country Club and suggested that there were much more significant priorities for the state.
Chicago’s three-year deal with NASCAR ends after the races next month.
Mayor Brandon Johnson did not say what might happen next when he was asked at a recent media briefing, but he did thank NASCAR.
“They’ve done an incredible job working with the community all over the city of Chicago. The programming that they have provided, the investments that they have made have been solid,” Johnson said
NASCAR driver and Springfield native Justin Allgaier said transitioning to downtown Chicago in 2023 was interesting.
“Especially the first year, it wasn’t as easy or as seamless as ourselves or I’m sure that the folks who live in downtown Chicago would have liked, right? There were definitely some headaches with it, but I felt like last year, the event was extremely good,” Allgaier said.
Street closures and lane closures are scheduled to begin affecting downtown Chicago this week. NASCAR officials say they have reduced the total build time for the event from 43 days in 2023 and 38 days in 2024 to 25 days this year.
NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series races in Chicago are scheduled July 5 and 6. NASCAR returns to Illinois Sept. 6 and 7 for Craftsman Truck Series and Cup Series races at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison.
Carson Hocevar fined for making insensitive comments about Mexico
Spire Motorsports has taken action against its own driver, Carson Hocevar. The NASCAR Cup Series competed in Mexico City for the first time last weekend in an event that was positively received by most of the garage. But while the 22-year-old rising star was live-streaming on Twitch, Hocevar chose to refer to Mexico as a […]
Spire Motorsports has taken action against its own driver, Carson Hocevar. The NASCAR Cup Series competed in Mexico City for the first time last weekend in an event that was positively received by most of the garage.
But while the 22-year-old rising star was live-streaming on Twitch, Hocevar chose to refer to Mexico as a “s***hole” in comments that received immediate pushback. Hocevar apologized for the comment after the race on Sunday night, but the team later chose to launch an internal review of the incident.
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As a result, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year has been fined $50,000 and must now complete mandatory cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training. The money will be split between three Mexican charities, including Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross), Un Kilo de Ayuda (a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development in rural communities), and Fondo Unido México (funding local NGOs that improve education, health, and housing).
Spire Motorsports statement
The team released a statement as well, explaining the decision to penalize their own driver: “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.
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“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.”
Carson Hocevar apology
Hocevar, who had a run-in with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during the race, which led to a post-race confrontation, released the following statement before the penalties were even announced:
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“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 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 [Stenhouse] anyway (referring to incident with the driver of the #47 car)
“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.”
NASCAR is unlikely to to issue any penalties of their own as the team worked in “close consultation” with the sanctioning body before making this decision.
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
CSI Asphalt Maintenance Becomes Primary Sponsor for Spencer Boyd at Pocono
Spencer Boyd, driver/owner of Freedom Racing Enterprises, announced that CSI Asphalt Maintenance will be the primary sponsor for the No. 76 Chevrolet Silverado at the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Pocono. Having been an associate sponsor for years, CSI is keen to enhance its presence in racing, reflecting their longstanding commitment to the […]
Spencer Boyd, driver/owner of Freedom Racing Enterprises, announced that CSI Asphalt Maintenance will be the primary sponsor for the No. 76 Chevrolet Silverado at the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Pocono. Having been an associate sponsor for years, CSI is keen to enhance its presence in racing, reflecting their longstanding commitment to the community and NASCAR fan engagement. The company, known for its asphalt services in Northeast Pennsylvania, is also gifting service credits to lucky fans as part of their partnership celebration.
By the Numbers
CSI Asphalt Maintenance has provided asphalt services for over a decade.
The giveaway includes: 1 – $500 Service Credit, 2 – $250 Service Credits, 5 – $100 Service Credits.
State of Play
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono is scheduled for June 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET.
Tickets for the race are still available for fans who wish to attend in person or watch on FS1.
What’s Next
The sponsorship and promotional efforts by CSI are expected to enhance their visibility during the race, potentially leading to increased community engagement and business opportunities in the local area.
Bottom Line
This partnership underscores the importance of community connection in NASCAR, as local businesses show their support and are celebrated during major events, enhancing fan experiences while building lasting relationships in the sport.
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)
+ Travis Hunter PLAYING BOTH SIDES | The Pat McAfee Show
