Spire Motorsports has fined driver Carson Hocevar $50,000 after he made controversial comments during a Twitch live stream before last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. He also must take cultural sensitivity and bias-awareness training.
Spire Motorsports will donate the fine equally to Cruz Roja Mexicana, Un Kilo de Ayuda, and Fondo Unido México , charities that support Mexican communities in areas like health, education, and nutrition.
In a statement, Spire said: “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.” The statement continued:
“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. Words carry weight, and respect must be lived out loud.”
During the stream, Hocevar called Mexico City a “sh*thole” and criticized its infrastructure, safety and racing conditions.
By Sunday night, Carson Hocevar had publicly apologized on X, saying he spoke too soon and without firsthand knowledge:
“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, he said. “I am embarrassed by my comments. I may have to move here to hide out from Ricky anyway.”
Hocevar later issued another statement saying: “Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth. I said something that … was wrong … without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap … at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms … Appreciate the opportunity to learn … I didn’t meet the standard so I got what I deserved.”
This all went down during a crazy race: Carson Hocevar finished 34th and wrecked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. late in the race. Stenhouse confronted Hocevar after the race and said he’d “beat his ass once we got back in the States”.
Spire consulted with NASCAR and the team’s discipline met all sanctioning requirements. As the Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway next, the team reiterated its commitment to NASCAR’s global growth, respectful representation of its partners and the international fanbase.
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