Spire Motorsports Levies $50k Fine on Hocevar for Mexico City Twitch Stream Comments
By David Morgan, Associate Editor
Carson Hocevar’s wallet is now $50,000 lighter after Spire Motorsports announced on Tuesday that the team had self-imposed penalties on the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet for comments made on a Twitch stream during the Mexico City race weekend.
Hocevar’s comments came on Friday night after the first on-track activity of the weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – the site of the first points paying international race for the NASCAR Cup Series.
“This is how I’d put it,” Hocevar said during the course of the live stream. “This whole experience, 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 better enforced, if it was going to be a little bit better of a race and it wasn’t so easy… or feel so locked down like you can’t leave anywhere, it would be a great experience. It would be an absolute great experience.
“If you take all those out, it’s great.”
In a news release announcing the penalties, Spire noted it had undertaken an internal review after the race in which Hocevar had finished 34th, electing to levy the penalties on Hocevar itself in conjunction with NASCAR, which also satisfied the sanctioning body’s requirements.
The $50,000 fine will be distributed among three different charitable organizations that serve Mexican communities including:
- 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.
In addition, Hocevar will be required to undertake cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training.
“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,” Spire said in its release. “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.
“We look forward to turning the page by racing hard, representing our partners, and living our values on and off the track.”
After Sunday’s race, Hocevar began to walk his comments back, explaining that he had a change of heart after getting a chance to take in all of the sights and sounds of the race weekend and the city as a whole.
“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 in a post on 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 anyway,” he added, in a nod to having another run-in with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. during the race.
“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.”
Hocevar added more comments on Tuesday night following the news drop from Spire announcing the penalties.
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… https://t.co/yYUITkEoOV
— Carson Hocevar (@CarsonHocevar) June 18, 2025
