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Winners and losers from IndyCar’s unique, chaotic Detroit GP street circuit race

With the Month of May complete, the NTT IndyCar Series ventured north to kick off June on the streets of Detroit. If anyone thought that meant a return to caution-free, procedural races, then they were in for a surprise. Sunday’s race was hit with multiple yellow flags, causing strategies that ultimately shook up the final […]

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With the Month of May complete, the NTT IndyCar Series ventured north to kick off June on the streets of Detroit.

If anyone thought that meant a return to caution-free, procedural races, then they were in for a surprise. Sunday’s race was hit with multiple yellow flags, causing strategies that ultimately shook up the final running order.

General view, overlooking the circuit’s unique ‘split’ pit lane

General view, overlooking the circuit’s unique ‘split’ pit lane

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

In the end, the same street course dominator from Long Beach rolled to victory lane. However, the path from Colton Herta’s well-deserved pole position to Kyle Kirkwood taking the checkered flag was much more eventful, leaving a host of different storylines to touch on leaving Motown.

Here are the winners and losers from the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

Winner: Kyle Kirkwood controls another street circuit showdown

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global

Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

What more can you say about Kyle Kirkwood and the No. 27 Andretti Global team when it comes to street circuits? The Floridian bounced back from a disappointing third-place qualifying effort and marched to his fourth street circuit win and second of 2025, following a dominant drive in Long Beach.

Kirkwood was rapid on the streets of Detroit, particularly on restarts. A varied race, broken front wing and strategies that forced him to overtake couldn’t keep Kirkwood from securing yet another big victory.

If Alex Palou’s the dominator everywhere else, then Kirkwood is establishing himself as the driver to beat when street circuits come around.

Winners (and one Loser): Keeping the status quo… Sort of

David Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises

David Malukas, A. J. Foyt Enterprises

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

Okay, so on paper, not much changed with the podium of Sunday’s race. Two Andretti Global stars were split by an A.J. Foyt Racing underdog in both qualifying and the race. But it took quite a bit to make that come true.

First off, let’s get the bad news out of the way. David Malukas’ promising weekend came unglued in the second-half of Sunday’s race. His No. 4 Chevrolet dropped from second to fifth on the opening lap, but he’d generally stayed in contention until the final set of pit stops under caution.

It was on the ensuing restart that Malukas made his race-changing error, slamming into Alex Palou from behind and nosing him into the tire barrier. That led to an avoidable contact penalty that ultimately relegated the Wisconsinite to a 14th-place result.

Luckily for the Foyt gang, the caution that preceded the error set up teammate Santino Ferrucci for a shock result. Having already pitted under green, Ferrucci stayed out and inherited the lead.

Neither he nor pole-sitting Andretti teammate Colton Herta had anything for the rapid Kyle Kirkwood in the end. But Ferrucci and Herta wrapped up the podium to give their organizations results they could be proud of.

Loser (but Winner for IndyCar): Alex Palou finally looks human

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

It was easy to picture Sunday’s race as a foregone conclusion based on the trends entering the weekend. Palou was obviously going to qualify well and surge to the lead when it counted, right?

Not this time.

The Indianapolis 500 winner qualified a respectable sixth and rose into the top-three through the opening corners, but ultimately lacked the pace to chase down the frontrunners in Detroit. It looked like the Spaniard was going to settle for a finish around the back-half of the top-five, but Palou’s day was undone when he was clambered into from behind by David Malukas on a mid-race restart. 

Even with the awful result, Palou’s still sitting pretty. His points lead still sits a 78 points over Kirkwood, leaving the Chip Ganassi Racing ace as the dominant championship favorite if catastrophe doesn’t find his No. 10 Chevrolet continuously moving forward.

But for at least one week, IndyCar got the chance to highlight other stars and focus on different storylines. That’s good for a series trying to grow its driver into brand names with FOX.

Loser: Early chaos takes out contenders

Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing

Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

If anyone was worried about the caution-free trends from before Indianapolis continuing in Detroit, they didn’t have to wait long to get their answer.

It took just 14 laps for the race to see its first full-course yellow, when Felix Rosenqvist went for a spin into the tire barrier while trying to chase down the frontrunners. Rosenqvist had closed up on the leaders after pitting to get rid of his alternate tires earlier than anyone else at the conclusion of lap 6, but the spin kept him out of contention.

The drama didn’t end there. Devlin DeFrancesco was caught up in the incident and fell to the back of the field. But minutes later his No. 30 Honda was seen slowed before it lost a tire to bring out another caution flag.

In-between those two unfortunate breaks for DeFrancesco, Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel made a strong impression as he surged past the just-pitted Colton Herta in a net-lead-changing moment that opened the door for Kyle Kirkwood to pass him as well. But on the first restart, Siegel was sent for a spin from the trailing Scott McLaughlin, who’d just pitted under the prior yellow.

Siegel and DeFrancesco lost laps as a result of their incidents and left Detroit with finishes of 19th and 23rd. McLaughlin continued on, but was issued a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact and knocked out of winning contention. He ended the day a disappointing 12th.

Winner: Early stops pay dividends for Simpson, Armstrong

Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing

Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

Ferrucci was the star of the drivers that were fortunate enough to pit before Ilott’s caution allowed them to cycle through to the front of the field. But the two drivers that joined him were nearly as fortunate.

Simpson and Armstrong couldn’t fend off the frontrunners in the run to the checkered flag, but the duo managed their fuel and tires well to take finishes of fifth and sixth, respectively. The top-five was a huge result for Simpson, salvaging a day where he’d rolled off 19th. Armstrong’s wasn’t as much of a comeback – he’d started ninth – but it served as the only highlight on a difficult day for Meyer Shank Racing. 

Loser: Foster, Rosenqvist take a wild ride

 

Ouch.

Louis Foster and Felix Rosenqvist were each having decent – if unmemorable – races in Detroit heading into the closing stages. Foster had shown promise, but lacked the pace of the frontrunners. Rosenqvist was doing what he could to rally from an early shunt.

Neither driver was prepared for what happened next. Foster suffered a suspension failure with 17 laps to go, slammed into Rosenqvist from two spots back and send both drivers careening into turn 3. 

Rosenqvist ultimately got the worst of the incident, slamming the turn 3 tire barrier and complaining of leg pain after the accident. Thankfully, the Swede appears to be okay. Meyer Shank Racing shared on social media that Rosenqvist was taken by stretcher to the infield care center, where he was seen and released before completing his IndyCar evaluation. 

Loser: A wheelie bad day

Devlin Defrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Devlin Defrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

DeFrancesco wasn’t the only one to lose a wheel during Sunday’s festivities. With final stops getting ready to kick off on lap 67, Prema Racing’s Callum Ilott came off pit road and immediately lost a wheel, clattering into the tire barrier and causing a caution that took any strategy out of the closing stint.

No major safety issues came out of the two lost wheels in Detroit. But few on-track issues can cause a greater potential risk to spectators. This is an issue IndyCar’s going to need to review leaving the Motor City.

Graham Rahal nearly suffered the same fate, his pit crew having issues removing a wheel nut before struggling to put one on during his first stop. Thankfully, the Ohioan caught it and avoided catastrophe, but the issue left him three laps down in 20th at race’s end.

Loser: Rinus runs out of luck

Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing

Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

With veteran engineer Michael Cannon back in the fold and a strong seventh-place qualifying effort, Rinus VeeKay and Dale Coyne Racing rolled into Sunday’s race with cause for optimism. But much like Detroit’s own Pistons basketball team, those vibes didn’t translate when it counted.

Veekay’s promising Detroit run was undone just six laps into the scheduled 100, when his No. 18 Honda lost power. That proved to be the end of his day, leaving the Netherlands native last in 27th when the checkered flag flew. 

Winner: One lucky bird

 

Alex Palou is vicious to his competition on the race track, but the Spaniard proved Saturday that he’s no killer. 

The dominant championship favorite was heading onto the racing surface during the final pre-qualifying practice on Saturday morning when he found a small bird dead ahead of his No. 10. Luckily for the bird (and any animal-loving viewers), Palou saw the creature ahead and managed to swerve around it.

Palou did technically commit a line infraction to make the dodge. But race control didn’t seem to mind – a trend of the early weekend, as it turned out. Because…

Loser: Power goes unpenalized for Detroit shove

Will Power, Team Penske, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global

Will Power, Team Penske, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

On face value, Friday’s unique run-in between Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood was more cool than anything else.

Power was approaching Kirkwood in the weekend’s opening practice session when the pair came together, Kirkwood having checked up behind the slowed David Malukas ahead of him. Seemingly frustrated, Power locked onto Kirkwood’s tail and pushed the Long Beach winner past Malukas and into the ensuing corner, where he shot up the track and allowed Power through.

“I came around, and he slowed up in the middle and made contact,” Power said. “So, I thought, ‘Well, I may as well get a gap now,’ so I just pushed him past the car in front, just moved him out of the way and got a really nice gap.”

Will Power, Team Penske

Will Power, Team Penske

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

In the end, neither driver was too upset about the incident. Kirkwood admitted it was “the most absurd thing I’ve had happen to me at a racetrack,” but was largely unbothered after topping the charts in the session. The pair were seen laughing about the incident together on Saturday morning.

That said, there was arguably a miss from race control. Power somehow avoided any unavoidable contact penalty for some of the most avoidable contact imaginable. But as was reported on the official broadcast, he may have suffered a worse fate than an on-track penalty — he was given a new nickname by his fellow drivers:“Will Plower”.

Photos from Detroit – Race

 

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NASCAR News: Denny Hamlin reacts to post-race taunt from Cup Series rival

Denny Hamlin has responded to a quip from a NASCAR Cup Series rival after last weekend’s race at Atlanta. The veteran racer was knocked out of the In-Season Challenge in the first round by the #32 seed Ty Dillon, who finished eighth in the race to Hamlin’s official 31st, his race ending after just […]

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Denny Hamlin has responded to a quip from a NASCAR Cup Series rival after last weekend’s race at Atlanta.

The veteran racer was knocked out of the In-Season Challenge in the first round by the #32 seed Ty Dillon, who finished eighth in the race to Hamlin’s official 31st, his race ending after just 72 laps thanks to one of a number of wrecks in the race.

Dillon riffed on Hamlin’s infamous ‘I just beat your favorite driver’ taunt after the race, saying “For all you Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out.”

The Kaulig Racing driver, whose eighth place at Atlanta was his best finish of the year, clarified later that he’d meant the comment in fun, insisting he’s ‘appreciated’ the Denny Hamlin vs the World gimmick and that he ‘loves’ Hamlin leaning into a heel role.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series star confirms team exit as commissioner hits back at lawsuit

Hamlin: Give Ty Dillon his moment

Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast this week, Hamlin himself said: “I see people giving Ty Dillon a lot of flak…give him his moment, people. He beat me.

“…He was ahead of me the whole f*cking race. I was 33rd until we crashed. Just let him have his moment. He texted me — he was like, ‘Hey, I was just playing around.’ I loved it.

“If you people think that you are going to hurt my feelings by coming in my mentions and saying, ‘Haha, Ty Dilon beat you,’ like, you’re never going to make fun of me more than I’m going to make fun of myself. You’re not going to offend me. I have really thick skin.

“You open yourself up and when you do that, the moments you fail, they’re going to give it to you. But you’ve got to be a big boy and take it. I am going to take it from Ty Dillon.”

READ MORE: NASCAR star Kyle Busch set for racing series switch as official announcement made

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Kurt Busch Reflects on a Sponsor Reprimand and How NASCAR Transformed as a Result of Corporate America

The characters that NASCAR drivers display today on and off the track are largely dictated by their sponsors. They are expected to walk in a straight line and not act in a way that would be detrimental to the public image of the companies that are backing them financially. But this wasn’t always the case. […]

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The characters that NASCAR drivers display today on and off the track are largely dictated by their sponsors. They are expected to walk in a straight line and not act in a way that would be detrimental to the public image of the companies that are backing them financially. But this wasn’t always the case. The shift began during a specific period in the sport’s evolution.

In a recent interview with Shannon Spake on the Spake Up podcast, Kurt Busch narrated an incident from his career that showcased this changeover. During a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002, Busch was wrecked by Jimmy Spencer in a way that left him angry. He got out of his car and made a gesture that came off as obscene to the viewers watching the event live on television.

But what he’d intended to do was indicate to the officials to send Spencer to the back of the field for his move. He explained, “In short track racing, there’s a guy on the track that communicates with the flag man on who goes to the back of the pack after somebody wrecks somebody. So, it was pat the rear end. Send them to the rear. And that’s what I was trying to [say].”

The miscommunication landed Busch in trouble with one of his sponsors after his image appeared on the front page of USA Today. He continued, “I’m on the cover patting my rear end, and the CEO goes, ‘What’s all this about?’

“I went, ‘I’m sorry, sir. The emotions, the heat of the moment, the guy flat out wrecked me.’ He goes, ‘Well, we can’t have this imagery on the cover of USA Today. We’re going to send you to media training.’”

Busch wasn’t the calm person he is today back then. He was a young driver who’d just made his way into NASCAR and held a ton of ambition in his heart. And so, he spoke his mind back to the CEO and questioned why they didn’t have a similar conversation when he appeared on the front cover of USA Today after winning at Bristol earlier that year.

He admitted to Spake that it wasn’t the right thing to say. But that was one of the turning points of the sponsor-centric culture that is prevalent today. “That’s where corporate America and the big-time sponsors changed our sport,” he added. Actions like what Busch did would result in a much bigger penalty today.



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Chicago weekend schedule, TV, weather info for NASCAR Cup and Xfinity

With hopes for a weekend with finally clear skies, NASCAR is back in the Windy City for the third edition of the Chicago Street Race. Since the inaugural event two years ago, the Cup and Xfinity series have been affected by inclement weather. After both series’ races were shortened by thunderstorms in 2023, the Cup […]

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With hopes for a weekend with finally clear skies, NASCAR is back in the Windy City for the third edition of the Chicago Street Race.

Since the inaugural event two years ago, the Cup and Xfinity series have been affected by inclement weather. After both series’ races were shortened by thunderstorms in 2023, the Cup Series ended 17 laps short of the full distance last year because of rain delays.

Alex Bowman is the defending winner of the Cup race. Shane van Gisbergen returns to Chicago this season as a full-time driver in NASCAR’s premier series after winning the inaugural race in his Cup debut for Trackhouse Racing (he also won last year’s Xfinity race).

Chicago will be the second round of the In-Season Challenge. Here are the matchups (with driver seeding):

—Brad Keselowski (17) vs. Ty Dillon (32)
—Alex Bowman (8) vs. Bubba Wallace (9)
—Chase Elliott (5) vs. John Hunter Nemechek (12)
—Erik Jones (20) vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29)
—Ryan Preece (15) vs. Noah Gragson (31)
—Tyler Reddick (23) vs. Carson Hocevar (26)
—Ty Gibbs (6) vs. AJ Allmendinger (22)
—Chris Buescher (3) vs. Zane Smith (14)

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

Shane van Gisbergen won in Mexico in the most recent Cup road course race.


Chicago weekend schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Saturday, July 5

Garage open

  • 8:30 a.m. – midnight — Xfinity Series
  • 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. — Cup Series

Track activity

  • 10:30 – 11:20 a.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App)
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App)
  • 1 – 1:50 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • 2 – 3 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (50 laps, 110 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 15, Stage 2 at Lap 30; TNT, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, July 6

Garage open

  • 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. — Cup Series

Track activity

  • 2 p.m. — Cup race (75 laps, 165 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 45; TNT, MRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Weekend weather

Saturday: Mostly sunny with a high of 95 degrees, winds from the south-southwest at 10-20 mph. It’s expected to be 93 degrees with a 3% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. A high of 83 degrees and winds from the west-northwest at 10-15 mph and a 56% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 82 degrees with a 52% chance of showers at the start of the Cup race.





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Holiday travelers boost St. Johns businesses along US 127

St. Johns businesses along US 127 are preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year as Fourth of July travelers head north through mid-Michigan. Businesses along US 127 in St. Johns expect more customers during the holiday weekend. Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill stays open during holiday weekends to serve travelers. US 27 […]

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St. Johns businesses along US 127 are preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year as Fourth of July travelers head north through mid-Michigan.

  • Businesses along US 127 in St. Johns expect more customers during the holiday weekend.
  • Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill stays open during holiday weekends to serve travelers.
  • US 27 Motorsports sees a boost from the holiday traffic and the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July.

WATCH: St. Johns businesses benefit from Fourth of July travel rush

St. Johns businesses see boost from holiday travelers on US 127

Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill, typically known as an autumn destination, sees significant business during summer holiday weekends too.

“Fourth of July weekend’s coming up and it’s one of our busy travel weekends,” Brian Phillips, orchard co-president said.

Those driving north on US 127 pass directly by these local businesses, creating a noticeable impact on their foot traffic.

“We are normally 10%-15% busier on a travel weekend versus just a regular weekend,” Phillips said.

Just down 127, US 27 Motorsports also benefits from the influx of holiday travelers.

“We’ll likely have a pretty big influx, likely on Saturday, of people traveling through our parts and accessory department,” said Shane Sake, operations director at US 27 Motorsports, said.

Sake told me the boost in business makes opening during the holiday weekend worthwhile. Similarly, Phillips explained that the orchard always remains open during holiday weekends.

“We know people are traveling and need a place to stop, or pick up a little gift or memento of their trip. We try to be here when they wanna stop in,” Phillips said.

Both businesses expressed appreciation for their location along the popular northern route.

“Once you pass us, you’re on the way north and we’re kinda the gateway for that,” Sake said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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RFK Racing president to depart team for UNC Tar Heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — RFK Racing president Steve Newmark will depart the team and join the University of North Carolina Tar Heels athletics program. Newmark will join Carolina as the executive associate athletic director. He will start Aug. 15. Then, in the summer of 2026, he will become the university’s athletic director. Steve Newmark, outgoing […]

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — RFK Racing president Steve Newmark will depart the team and join the University of North Carolina Tar Heels athletics program.

Newmark will join Carolina as the executive associate athletic director. He will start Aug. 15. Then, in the summer of 2026, he will become the university’s athletic director.

Carolina touted Newmark for his experience with sponsorships, marketing, team operations and contract negotiations. The university believes he will be a strong fit as they look to “further adapt the Department to needs related to revenue share, NIL and commercial strategy.”

Newmark joined RFK Racing in April 2010 as the senior vice president of business operations. Then, he became the team president in December 2010.

At the start of Newmark’s tenure, the team contended for the title in 2011 and 2012. Then, as veterans Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards left, the team started to decline.

The team had just two wins and two playoff appearances from 2015 to 2021, compared to 33 and 16 in the previous seven season. Despite the struggles, they held on to several key partners – due in no small part to Newmark’s leadership.

When Brad Keselowski bought into the team in 2022, Newmark helped lead the team into a new era with a new name – RFK Racing. RFK has at least one win in each of its three completed seasons. In the previous two, they have multiple wins and at least one playoff appearance. The team even expanded to three full-time cars in 2025 for the first time in eight years.

“It has been a true privilege to learn from and represent Jack Roush and John Henry, and the entire Roush and Fenway organizations. And I firmly believe the RFK team is in a great spot and poised for tremendous success both on and off the track in the years ahead,” Newmark stated.

Newmark also served as a liaison for the teams to NASCAR. In fact, he was instrumental in the creation of the charter system in NASCAR.

Courtesy of: https://x.com/GoHeels

The new role with Carolina brings Newmark back to his roots. A native of Chapel Hill, he was a partner at the Charlotte-based law firm Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson before joining RFK. He specialized in sports and entertainment and worked extensively with the Southeastern Conference, Conference USA and the NCAA.  

“Now, it’s time for a new chapter. I am heading back home to Chapel Hill to join one of the most respected and successful programs in college sports. I am thrilled to officially become part of UNC Athletics and look forward to joining Tar Heel Nation as we strive for wins and championships across all sports in the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics,” he said.

Newmark also served on the advisory committee that assisted in hiring eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick as Carolina’s head football coach.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com



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Ryan Blaney reacts to Spire Motorsports Twitter beef, warns payback is coming on Carson Hocevar

Ryan Blaney has yet to get payback on Carson Hocevar for wrecking him in the February race at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. Blaney might feel more inclined to get back at Hocevar after a Spire social media person stoked the flames this past weekend. Blaney and Hocevar went head-to-head in Round 1 of the NASCAR […]

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Ryan Blaney has yet to get payback on Carson Hocevar for wrecking him in the February race at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. Blaney might feel more inclined to get back at Hocevar after a Spire social media person stoked the flames this past weekend.

Blaney and Hocevar went head-to-head in Round 1 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge this past Saturday, in Atlanta of all places. Hocevar, the No. 26 seed, knocked off the No. 7 seeded Blaney after a 10th-place finish. After the race, Spire decided to troll Blaney on social media.

Blaney addressed Spire’s social media activity during an appearance on the “Door Bumper Clear” podcast. He reminded Spire that he still owes Hocevar, adding the troll has “re-sparked me.”

“I’m happy he was able to beat me when I got crashed on Lap 50 — that was cool. Great job by the whole Spire Motorsports team,” Blaney said. “I saw that, and I wasn’t really in a mood. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s speedway racing, whatever.’ Then, I saw that on the plane and I’m like, ‘Well, now you’ve kind of pissed me off a little bit.’

“So, that social media person is going to have to explain when something happens to the 77 car, that it was their fault. I hope they’re proud of themselves for that. I do still owe him — he wrecked me at first Atlanta this year and I haven’t done anything about it. Now, you’ve just re-sparked me.”

Ryan Blaney fails to finish in Atlanta

Blaney didn’t get much of a chance to compete against Hocevar in Atlanta. Just before the end of Stage 1, he was involved in a multi-car wreck after Christopher Bell went for a spin. Blaney suffered his sixth DNF in 18 races this season.

“I couldn’t see much,” Blaney said after the race. “As soon as they started spinning and coming down, I tried to get to the apron and finally got there and got blocked. Story of our year: Getting caught up in other people’s garbage. As soon as I feel like we get it going pretty well and find some momentum, we never really seem to have things going our way. Tried to flip the stage and was right in the middle of it.

“Stinks and that’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ll be back and go at it in Chicago next week. I definitely thought we could improve [the car] in dirty air. But I was excited to work through it during the night and never got the chance.”



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