The drama between Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi dissecting the entire situation. The duo likened it to Ross Chastain’s advent in the Cup Series.

Hocevar and Chastain share a lot of similarities, with their ultra-aggressive driving-style. Gluck elaborated on how that’s led to the Spire Motorsports wheelman not receiving the benefit of the doubt, no matter the situation.

“It all plays into the reputation that [Hocevar] has. But I also think there is a little bit of the, what I termed on Twitter, ‘The Chastain Disease,’ where Hocevar is clearly not going to get the benefit of the doubt. Everybody knows he races aggressively. Everybody knows he takes what he can get. So, it pisses everybody off, but nobody’s done anything about it yet,” Gluck stated, via The Teardown.

“… I don’t think that Stenhouse is going to take this lightly. however, he’s sort of like — get in line with Hocevar. Get in line with the long list of people. … [Hocevar] seems to find himself in hot water, but he’s not going to change the way he races.”

In response, Bianchi was in agreement, wondering if Hocevar needs to learn to pick his spots a little better on the track. That could be what leads to him receiving the respect he desires.

“You’re right when you say Hocevar is not going to get the benefit of the doubt, but that’s the world you created, and you’ve got to be able to manage it,” Bianchi responded. “It’s also — this is part of it, a young driver who’s only in the second full season, learning the rigors of racing at the Cup level. Like Chastain and like other young drivers we’ve seen, it’s about picking and choosing your spots.

“I go back to when Chastain was making a lot of his mistakes, and they were at the end of races or towards the end of races, racing for the win. Then it was like, it’s a little bit more excusable. Like, I’m all for aggressive driving, but the Chastain thing is like, I get it. You’re racing for the win, you’re aggressive. I get it. This big picture, you didn’t need to do that in that situation.

“If you’re faster than him, if you’re closing that quickly, you’re going to get them anyway. You obviously have a good race car. You don’t need to do anything out of the ordinary here. Just keep doing your thing. Looking at the tape, it looks like he kind of hit him flush. It wasn’t like he got underneath them and then they made contact, it was almost a flush hit. So if I’m Stenhouse, I’d be pissed too.”

The field certainly believes Carson Hocevar will get some comeuppance soon. Whether it’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or another driver remains to be seen, but the Spire Motorsports wheelman might need to show a bit more contrition if he’s going to avoid an altercation moving forward.

After sitting out for over a month following their failure to qualify for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports) have competed on a fairly regular basis as of late.

The team have competed in five of the eight most recent points races, including the last two in a row and three of the last four.

After Josh Bilicki technically scored the team’s best result of the season, ironically a 33rd place DNF, in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway two weekends ago, Chad Finchum matched their actual best finish with a 35th place effort in Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

In fact, the team had not actually finished a race since Casey Mears placed 35th in their first official start of the year at Martinsville Speedway back in late March.

But the team will not be returning at Michigan International Speedway.

No open cars competing at Michigan

The entry list for Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400 around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval features only the 36 chartered entries.

There were two other non-chartered (open) cars that raced at Nashville. NY Racing Team ran the No. 44 Chevrolet for J.J. Yeley, and 23XI Racing ran the No. 67 Toyota for Corey Heim. Both are set to return later this year, but not this weekend.

This weekend marks just the second race of the season to feature no open entries, and with all 36 chartered cars driven by full-time drivers, it marks just the second race in the entire history of the Cup Series not to feature a single part-time driver.

Garage 66 do plan to return later in the year. As of now, they are planning to compete in two more races before the 2025 season concludes, though that schedule is extremely likely to expand. Bilicki is currently set to compete in the race at the Chicago Street Course on Sunday, July 6 and the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27.

Kyle Busch has listed his incredible North Carolina ‘barndominium’ property for sale. The NASCAR legend has been living in Denver full time with his family

NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch has put his North Carolina ‘barndominium’ house on the market for a cool $4.5 million, confessing that he just can’t spend as much time there as he would like.

The former two-time Cup Series champion is having a tough time at the moment. He admitted feeling “like a broken record” after the Coca-Cola 600 before being brutally insulted by Shane van Gisbergen over the radio at Nashville as Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented honestly on his “attitude” driving the No.8 car.

Busch, who previously resided in North Carolina, sold a waterfront mansion for a hefty $13 million two years ago and relocated to Denver with his family. Despite the move, the racing icon aimed to maintain ties to North Carolina, the heartland of NASCAR, by snapping up this distinctive property after offloading his luxurious mansion.

READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr weighs in after leaked NASCAR plans prompted U-turnREAD MORE: Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin identify future NASCAR Cup Series winner

The property, which was originally bought from Brian Deegan, underwent a transformation under Busch’s ownership, turning an eight-bathroom, four-bedroom barn into a lavish residence. Now, it appears Busch is bidding farewell to the barndominium, listing it for sale as he seems set to settle back in Colorado permanently.

This unique estate boasts jaw-dropping features, from private fuel storage and subterranean garages to an exquisite saltwater pool, a personal bar, and even an indoor basketball court. Busch took to social media to explain his decision to sell.

His post read: “We love this piece of land and the amazing barndominium but right now we just don’t have enough time to spend there. We can’t wait for someone to love it as much as we have! 14,983 Sq Ft Barndominium, 35 Acres. More info on Zillow, or at the link on my Story. Contact Josh Tucker at joshtucker@hmproperties.com with serious inquiries.”

Located conveniently close to Lake Norman and just about an hour’s drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, this property is not one to be overlooked.

Busch made his first real estate purchase in North Carolina, snagging a property for $7 million before flipping it for a cool $13 million. He also listed the barndominium for sale at $4.5 million.

Throughout his remarkable career, Busch has reportedly raked in around $400 million, thanks to his two-time Cup Series wins. Despite his success, he has yet to clinch a victory in the Daytona 500, despite 20 attempts.

On Friday, Venturini Motorsports revealed that Jake Finch won’t be competing in the ARCA race at Michigan as previously scheduled. Finch is not filling well and will not be able to pilot the No. 25 Toyota in Friday night’s ARCA race.

As a result, the historic ARCA team has asked fellow Toyota driver Corey Heim to fill in for him. Finch is running part-time this year and was set to make his third ARCA start of the year today.

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Heim currently drives the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota in the Truck Series where he leads the championship standings, winning four of the first 12 races of the year. Heim is also a developmental driver for 23XI Racing.

While he does have experience in ARCA, Heim hasn’t raced in that division since the 2022 season. Heim’s ARCA resume is just as impressive as his Truck statistics, winning nine races in just 43 starts. He was also the 2021 ARCA championship runner-up, losing to Ty Gibbs.

Venturini has been operating in ARCA since 1982 and currently fields a multi-car effort, but in April of this year, they announced plans to sell the entire organization to Nitro Motorsports later this year.

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Last season, Corey LaJoie was let go by Spire Motorsports on the Cup Series side; now he’s back with the Truck Series team. LaJoie will race nine NASCAR Truck Series races in the No. 07 Chevy Silverado. He had quite the analogy about his return to his old stomping grounds.

Corey LaJoie is out of full-time racing in NASCAR. He’s doing his best to put together a mealpiece Cup Series schedule and also a healthy number of Truck Series races. Still, coming back to Spire Motorsports like this is a bit strange. Humbling, some might say.

While speaking to the media at Michigan International Speedway, LaJoie made a wild analogy. Try to keep up here.

“So yeah. It’s been, you know, a lot of emotions going back in there [at Spire],” LaJoie said. “Can I give you my analogy? … Here’s my analogy. It’s like when you work building a house for five years, and then your wife becomes a TikTok star and says she’s not happy anymore, she kicks you out. Then she calls you back a year later, and you have to go live in the guest room, and she’s there with a new boyfriend. That’s how this thing goes.”

Now, I don’t know anything about that, but I get the gist of what LaJoie is saying. There’s a little bit of hurt pride there, but a desire to prove yourself. Spire is his wife, and drivers like Justin Haley, Michael McDowell, and Carson Hocevar are the new boyfriends. The Truck Series, well, I guess that’s the guest bedroom.

Corey LaJoie gets serious after hilarious comparison

Corey LaJoie had a bit of fun giving his wild analogy. However, he got serious right after and talked about the competitive side of things. Which is what he’s missed all along while being on the sidelines for so many weeks this season.

“But I’ve missed the, just like, the trenches of trying to work together for a common goal,” LaJoie continued. “Because it’s the only thing, racing’s the only thing in life that you can be measured by your effort, good, bad, or indifferent. So, I’ve missed like, the working collectively trying to get a truck faster, car faster, yourself faster, figuring out what your weaknesses are and making them better.”

This is going to be the best equipment that Corey LaJoie has had on race day compared to his competitors. We have seen Kyle Larson get a win this year in the truck. However, Michael McDowell, Justin Haley, William Byron, and Kyle Busch have all come up short. William Byron and Larson are the only drivers to get top-five finishes in the No. 07 truck.

If LaJoie can put himself in the right position, a win is not out of the question. However, nothing is guaranteed. The Truck Series is full of great talent right now, and winning is a difficult task for any driver. Just ask those Cup guys who were behind the wheel before LaJoie.

It is time to go racing in the Irish Hills of Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway and the Firekeeper’s Casino 400. Here is everything you need to know before cars hit the track in Michigan.

NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway Preview

Last August, it was Tyler Reddick winning his second of three victories on a Monday. The Sunday race was delayed due to rain and pushed to the next day. Will the rain return? Or will it be all sunshine for Sunday’s race? Can Tyler Reddick get win number one in 2025? Or can Ford or Chevy win in their backyard?

Race Preview:

The Firekeepers Casino 400 is the fifteenth race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. It is a 400-mile, 200-lap race around the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway. Stage cautions will be thrown on laps 45 and 120, with the checkered flag on lap 200. There is $11,055,250 in prize money available for those in the race. Teams will have 7 sets of Goodyear tires for practice and qualifying. The Goodyear tires are the same at Daytona and Talladega earlier in the season.

The Track: Michigan International Raceway

Built and opened in 1968, Michigan International Speedway is located in Brooklyn, Michigan, the heartland for Chevrolet and Ford. 2 miles in length, it is known for its record-setting speeds, with speeds being reported as high as 220 mph on the straightaway. With 18 degrees of banking in the turns, 12 on the front stretch, and 5 on the back, it is the perfect setting for high top speeds.

Michigan 2018: 220 mph entering turn one. Speeds so fast, they literally blew small children off their feet pic.twitter.com/spPteTPlwe

— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) June 2, 2025

The Cup Series has raced here 107 previous times. Cale Yarborough won the first race in 1969. David Pearson has the most wins at the track, with 9 wins. Kyle Larson and Joey Logano are tied for wins amongst active drivers, both with three. Kevin Harvick set the lap record in 2018, turning a 36.093-second lap around the track.

Cup Series Point Standings:

Here are the standings following the race at Nashville:

1. William Byron: 547
2. Kyle Larson: 499
3. Christopher Bell: 459
4. Denny Hamlin: 443
5. Chase Elliott: 442
6. Tyler Reddick: 429
7. Ryan Blaney: 417
8. Joey Logano: 380
9. Ross Chastain: 377
10. Bubba Wallace: 343

Read More: Penske Power Shows Out as Ryan Blaney Wins in Music City

Drivers To Watch:

Brad Keselowski, a native Michigander, has steadily improved his finishing positions at Michigan in the Next-Gen era. Fourth and fifth in the previous two races at Michigan. Ford has won 2 of the 3 Next-Gen races at the track. I think it would only be fitting for Keselowski to get that elusive win at Michigan and win for the blue ovals.

For the Toyotas, you have to look at the 23XI crew and their boss, Denny Hamlin. Wallace ran second to Harvick in 2022 with Hamlin running in third. Hamlin ran third to Truex and Buescher in 2023, and Reddick won the race last year. Look out for the Nos. 45, 23, and 11 Camrys on Sunday.

Chevrolet has been the weakest manufacturer in the Next Gen era. No wins and only three top-five finishes. While Kyle Larson is the flagship of the Chevy program at the moment, I think eyes should be on one of the younger drivers in the camp. Carson Hocevar has had a string of good runs and a second-place finish at Nashville. If he can avoid being junked into the wall by Ricky Stenhouse, I think Carson can win his first race at his home track.

Read More: Carson Hocevar Faces Heavy Criticism After Wrecking Stenhouse At Nashville

How To Watch The Cup Series at Michigan:

Here is the schedule for the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan:

• Saturday, June 7th:
• Sunday, June 8th:
  • The Firekeepers Casino 400

Stay connected to Last Word on Motorsports for all the exciting action from Michigan International Speedway

Main Photo: Logan Riely, Getty Images

Recording Date: 8/19/2024