Carson Hocevar issued a statement after his team, Spire Motorsports, fined him $50,000 and mandated that he attend a cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness class.
Spire Motorsports fined Hocevar after he described Mexico City as a “s**thole” on a Twitch stream ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race there. He said, ““If the travel was better, if getting here was easier, if you felt safer getting to and from everywhere, if it wasn’t such a s**thole, if the track limits were a little bit better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race, and [if it didn’t] feel so locked down like you can’t leave anywhere, it’d be a great experience. It’d be an absolute great experience. If you take all those out, it’s unbelievable. It’s great.”
for the people defending this dude, here’s the video, so…
estos días habia visto fans de nascar racistas (como el que escribió este tweet, y en las respuestas) pero, los pilotos también? terriblehttps://t.co/YH1HKf9bVN https://t.co/dnxc2c0aYu pic.twitter.com/NnEMtf84c9
— ⋆montse⋆ #RUSSONELLI 🥇🥉🩵 (@checoflan) June 15, 2025
Following Sunday’s race, Hocevar addressed the comments on X, “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 anyway,” he added. “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.”
On June 17th, Spire announced it was fining Hocevar $50,000 for his comments and mandating he attend “cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.”
Spire added, “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.”
“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.”
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) June 17, 2025
The comments in response to this post are overwhelmingly negative. One wrote, “This is ridiculous, people can’t have opinions anymore? He was asked his opinion on a podcast based on his experience & he gave it. Maybe we should start putting programmable robots in the cars if they want to script all PR appearances.”
Another wrote, “Can’t say anything or do anything in this sport without getting fined anymore, unbelievable. If I were Carson Hocevar I wouldn’t pay it.”
Still another added, “NASCARS PUPPET.. Spire Motorsport. Let the man have an opinion and personality. He was literally right. Blaney, SVG, Gragson, and multiple crew members all got sick due to the water. NOT TO MENTION Tab Boyd and his situation… PLUS the travel situation which is well known..”
“I believe Spire made a mistake fining Carson Hocever,” posted another. “He is entitled to his own opinion. He should not be fined for speaking his opinion or fined for his first amendment right.”
In response to these negative comments, Hocevar wrote, “Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth. I said something that not only was wrong, I said it without even laying my own two eyes on CDMX or turning one lap in an actual race at an amazing facility that welcomed me with open arms and I go and say that?”
“Thank you for the support but I’m not sure we’re on the same page,” he continued. “ou guys want me to be me? It was me who said it and it was me who apologized after actually taking the time to explore the city and feel the passion of every fan in attendance. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and I knew before this weekend what respect means to this organization and I didn’t meet the standard so I got what I deserved.”
“I hate learning these lessons in the public eye and bringing any negative attention to Spire or me. We’ve been fast just about every week and I’m sure I have plenty of mistakes left in me. I appreciate growing up in front of all of you and you guys get to see the good and the bad. I’m just me. I’m trying. It just doesn’t always go the way I want and I bring a lot of this on myself. However, I love being in this garage, with this team surrounded by the best drivers and fans in the world. See you in Pocono,” he concluded.
What do you make of Hocevar’s comments?