Spire Motorsports fined Carson Hocevar $50,000 for comments he made during a recent livestream, the organization announced Tuesday evening.
Hocevar disparaged Mexico City during a since-deleted stream on Twitch before traveling south for the NASCAR Cup Series‘ inaugural race at the 2.42-mile Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. In a statement, Spire Motorsports addressed the comments, issuing a fine to its sophomore driver and mandating cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training “after a thorough internal review of Carson Hocevar‘s recent livestream remarks about Mexico City, and in close consultation with NASCAR,” the statement said.
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) June 17, 2025
The fine will be donated in equal portions to three organizations that serve Mexican communities, the statement said:
— Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross) — providing humanitarian and medical relief across Mexico.
— Un Kilo de Ayuda — a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development in rural communities.
— Fondo Unido México (United Way Mexico) — funding 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 statement read. “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‘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. Carson 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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The 22-year-old driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet issued an apology on his social media accounts late Sunday evening following the event, in which he finished 34th, one lap down.
“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,” Hocevar said on his social media. “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 Jr.] 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.”
The team informed NASCAR of its penalties to Hocevar, the statement read.
“NASCAR has confirmed that our team-imposed discipline satisfies the sanctioning body‘s requirements,” it continued. “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.”
Hocevar also made contact with Stenhouse‘s car during the Viva Mexico 250, the second time in three weeks his bumper has met that of Stenhouse‘s No. 47 Chevrolet, leading to a post-race confrontation.
The NASCAR Cup Series resumes action this weekend at Pocono Raceway with the running of The Great American Getaway 400 on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).