Cup drivers recap Charlotte Race won by Chastain
Hear from Brad Keselowski, Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger, Michael McDowell and Ryan Preece following the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Carson Hocevar moves a step closer to taming NASCAR Cup Series with Nashville result
LEBANON, Tenn. — Carson Hocevar apologized. No, not for the contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a matter Hocevar said he needed to review. And Hocevar didn't apologize for being a bull in a china shop, at least that's how some competitors see him. After matching his career-best finish of second Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, Hocevar apologized — for cutting an interview short. 'I'm about to throw up,' he said. The 22-year-old turned and walked over to the infield grass and did just that. He felt better afterward and resumed talking to reporters. Nothing is ordinary with Hocevar, who reminds one of a bucking bronco yet to be quite fully tamed, full of energy and able to force others to react to what they do. Even Nashville winner Ryan Blaney acknowledged what Hocevar has done with Spire Motorsports this season. 'Spire has been really, really fast this year,' Blaney said after his first victory of the season. 'Mainly the 77 (Hocevar). He's been really, really good and had a great shot to win that race last week and ran really good tonight.' Nate Ryan, Hocevar seems to be closing on his first career Cup victory, provided he can harness his talent and his team can execute a clean race. It all almost came together Sunday. Then again, that victory might have come the previous week in the Coca-Cola 600 had his engine not blown while he was running second with less than 100 laps to go. 'We're right on the doorstep,' Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson told NBC Sports after Sunday's race at Nashville Superspeedway. 'That was different from (the Coca-Cola 600) where we had a bunch of speed early and often. This was more of a workmanlike, mature finish for the group. I'm proud of (Hocevar). 'We still had our drama there. I wish he would have just cut Ricky a break more than anything. I don't know if that was entirely on Carson, but I do expect him to cut a guy a break like that. That's all part of the building block. I'd rather be having that discussion with him after a second-place run than 32nd.' Hocevar has noted that he's continuing to learn but also ready to win, saying this weekend: 'I feel like I know how to win. It's just being able to be detailed enough to have it work out.' And avoiding issues with competitors. After he finished runner-up at Atlanta in February, the second-year Cup driver had multiple drivers upset with him. Blaney and Ross Chastain talked to him after the race about his driving. While acknowledging he had room to grow on the track, he remained confident in what he was doing. 'We're here to win races and not be a boy band and love each other and play on the playground together,' Hocevar said at the time. Dustin Long, Hocevar is the third young driver that Luke Lambert has been paired with throughout his 13-year Cup career as a crew chief and those experiences are helping him connect with Hocevar more. 'I think what I've learned in working with different rookies and now with Carson is so much about managing expectations and building the mental toughness to be a Cup driver, which you really can't develop without the experience of driving in this series. … The mental toughness required to manage these Cup races is really where the difference is made.' So how does Lambert help Hocevar with that? 'It's a 24/7 focus on discipline,' Lamber said. 'Our focus is to develop the right amount of discipline for him without killing his creativity. That requires conversations about everything that happens on the track but also conversations that happen about everything in your life in between races.' Lambert calls Hocevar 'one of the most creative race car drivers I've ever been around in that he finds ways to do things with the car that other guys wouldn't have thought of or he may not have seen another guy do before.' Hocevar's finish moved him to within four points of Kyle Busch, who holds the final playoff spot with 12 races left in the regular season. After starting 26th, it made the accomplishment even more meaningful. 'Super proud of our group and what we're doing right now,' Lambert said on the team's radio after the race. 'We are proving that we are heading in the right direction. We're going to keep it up. The fact that we rallied and got this finish tonight is just another example of we're heading in the right direction. 'Good magic for next week. Let's have some fun.'
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Ryan Blaney wins at Nashville for first NASCAR Cup Series checkered flag of the year
'I never gave up hope that's for sure,' Blaney said. 'We've had great speed all year. It just hasn't really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But [No.] 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.' Advertisement He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville's 1.33-mile concrete track. Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable. 'Either I'm really dramatic or they're really good on adjustments,' Hocevar said. 'Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group, proud of this car. A place that is really, really difficult to pass, we're able to go 26th to second.' Advertisement Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't finish his first race this year. He was the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution of the race on lap 106. Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best finish in a driver's 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth. Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven cautions for 35 laps. 'Just couldn't run with the 12 [Blaney] there in the super long run,' Hamlin said. 'After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.' There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256. Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269, and Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps. Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day. Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first stage. Advertisement Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday. His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series on June 8.
Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Ryan Blaney wins first NASCAR Cup Series race of the year at Nashville
Associated Press LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Blaney kicked off the second half of the NASCAR season by running away down the stretch for his first Cup Series race of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with five top-five finishes over the first half of this season. He finally got to Victory Lane in the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske for his 14th career victory and first since Martinsville in November. He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his second-place finish at Atlanta in February. Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best finish in a driver's 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth. This race featured seven cautions using up 35 laps. There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green flag on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256. Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269, and Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps. Waiting on a call Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day. Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first stage. Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday. His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Early night Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't finish his first race this year. He was the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution of the race on lap 106. Punishment and more penalties possible? AJ Allmendinger started at the back of the field and served a stop-and-go penalty after the green flag for an unapproved adjustment to the splitter during Saturday's practice. His No. 16 Chevrolet was sent back to the garage and then the scanning station before practice and qualifying. The No. 66 Ford of Chad Finchum failed inspection twice leading to engineer Austin Webb's ejection. The Garage 66 team also lost pit stall selection. Up next NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series on June 8. ___ AP auto racing: recommended
