Latest news with #FrontRowMotorsports
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Carson Hocevar draws the ire of Zane Smith and FRM crew chief
As he tried to fight back from a mid-race incident, Carson Hocevar got loose underneath Zane Smith and sent the Front Row Motorsports driver spinning into the outside wall. However, things did not end there as the damaged No. 38 Ford of Smith appeared to try and get payback later in the race, taking a swipe at the No. 77 and missing. Hocevar even reacted to it on the radio saying, "nice try." Hocevar rebounded to finish eighth at Iowa Speedway, while Smith finished several laps down in 36th. 'It was just another work of art from [team owner] Jeff Dickerson, wanting us to fight through adversity and be able to come out with a good result," said Hocevar as he reflected on the race. "That's what he's preached and that's what we've been focusing on. We were turned around at one point and just struggling to go anywhere. We were just able to reset and regroup. Luke [Lambert, crew chief] did a really good job for this No. 77 Chevrolet team to at least put something on the board and be able to go into next weekend with a little momentum with two top-10s in a row.' Post-race confrontation While he didn't directly address the incident with Smith in the above quotes, the opposing FRM team was eager to address it with him. Ryan Bergenty, who works as the crew chief for the No. 38, confronted Hocevar after the race in a heated conversation. reporter Stephen Stumpf even caught the beginning of the tense interaction on video. Hocevar has been involved in several run-ins this year, including an infamous multi-week feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as well as various other drivers throughout the field. The 22-year-old is having an impressive season with flashes speed, but Smith is just the latest of many enemies he has made along the way. Read Also: Frustrated Kyle Larson boils over in radio rant during rough Iowa Cup race Opportunity lost as Brad Keselowski misses out on another NASCAR win William Byron saves enough fuel to win caution-filled NASCAR Cup race at Iowa To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Carson Hocevar draws the ire of Zane Smith and FRM crew chief
As he tried to fight back from a mid-race incident, Carson Hocevar got loose underneath Zane Smith and sent the Front Row Motorsports driver spinning into the outside wall. However, things did not end there as the damaged No. 38 Ford of Smith appeared to try and get payback later in the race, taking a swipe at the No. 77 and missing. Hocevar even reacted to it on the radio saying, "nice try." Hocevar rebounded to finish eighth at Iowa Speedway, while Smith finished several laps down in 36th. 'It was just another work of art from [team owner] Jeff Dickerson, wanting us to fight through adversity and be able to come out with a good result," said Hocevar as he reflected on the race. "That's what he's preached and that's what we've been focusing on. We were turned around at one point and just struggling to go anywhere. We were just able to reset and regroup. Luke [Lambert, crew chief] did a really good job for this No. 77 Chevrolet team to at least put something on the board and be able to go into next weekend with a little momentum with two top-10s in a row.' Post-race confrontation While he didn't directly address the incident with Smith in the above quotes, the opposing FRM team was eager to address it with him. Ryan Bergenty, who works as the crew chief for the No. 38, confronted Hocevar after the race in a heated conversation. reporter Stephen Stumpf even caught the beginning of the tense interaction on video. Hocevar has been involved in several run-ins this year, including an infamous multi-week feud with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., as well as various other drivers throughout the field. The 22-year-old is having an impressive season with flashes speed, but Smith is just the latest of many enemies he has made along the way. Read Also: Frustrated Kyle Larson boils over in radio rant during rough Iowa Cup race Opportunity lost as Brad Keselowski misses out on another NASCAR win William Byron saves enough fuel to win caution-filled NASCAR Cup race at Iowa To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Christopher Bell takes accountability for incident with Zane Smith at Indy
NEWTON, Iowa — Christopher Bell steeled himself as he headed toward Zane Smith's crew after last weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bell went to apologize for wrecking Smith in overtime — the third consecutive weekend Smith has lost several positions in the final laps. How to watch Sunday's Cup race at Iowa Speedway: Start time, TV info and weather Ryan Blaney looks to repeat his win in last year's inaugural Cup race at Iowa. Nate Ryan, 'I thought I could sweep underneath of him and clearly you wanted to be on the inside at Indy,' Bell said of his move on Smith. 'I tried to sweep underneath him, and I tried to make it as last minute as possible so that he couldn't counter my move, and I misjudged my run, ran into the back of him and turned him to the right.' Bell would reach out to Smith but also wanted to speak to Smith's crew at Front Row Motorsports. So what was it like to approach people larger than him and angry at him? 'I'm not going to lie,' Bell said Saturday at Iowa Speedway in response to a question from NBC Sports. 'I was nervous, but I knew I deserved what was coming, so I'm like I'm going to own it. If I want to walk up there (into the team's hauler) and they want to (yell at me with expletives) and tell me to get out, I deserved that in that moment. 'I felt like I owed them the respect. … I tried to show them accountability and tell them it was on me.' Apologies don't bring back results. Smith has lost about 50 combined positions in the final laps of the last three races. 'The past two weeks, nothing has been in our control,' Smith said of the issues in those late laps. 'Last week was for sure going to be a top-10, top-five day. Unfortunately, it was taken from us. Same thing at Dover.' The woes started at Sonoma. 'Sonoma was on me,' Smith said. The team opted to stay out on older tires late and restarted eighth with 13 laps to go. A pair of cautions allowed those behind with fresher tires to close on Smith. Iowa starting lineup: Chase Briscoe scores 6th NASCAR Cup pole of the season Chase Briscoe has won more poles this season than any other Cup driver. Dustin Long, 'When that happens and you get closer to the end, you're just so vulnerable,' Smith told NBC Sports. Those with fresher tires pounced. Smith dropped from seventh to 27th in the final four laps. At Dover, Smith was running 14th before an incident in overtime. Ryan Preece had contact and came down on Smith's car, turning it. Smith finished 22nd. 'I could hear (Preece) trying to gather it up,' Smith said. 'He just had a huge moment … nothing I could do there.' Then at Indy, Smith was running 13th when the contact from Bell wrecked him and Smith finished 31st. That's 46 positions lost in the final laps of the last three races for Smith. Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of weekend at Iowa Speedway Ryan Blaney won last year's inaugural Cup race at Iowa. Dustin Long, Despite the misfortune, Smith said the focus is on the positives in those races. 'My whole team, they aren't stupid, they see that we're running good and have speed when this happens,' he said. 'Now, if we were running 30th and get hooked, the guys are going to be pretty upset and just over it. It's far from that situation. My team has done an incredible job of grinding away.' Smith qualified 14th for Sunday's Cup race at Iowa (coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on USA). 'I feel like what we've unloaded some of these weekends, we just have a really good car,' Smith said. Now, it's just a matter of getting the finish that is deserved.
NBC Sports
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Indianapolis weekend
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with one driver looking to claim the In-Season Challenge championship and another driver seeking to complete a career grand slam. Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday's race. 23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick won the pole, led 40 laps and finished second at Indianapolis last year. … Reddick has an average finish of 5.0 at Indy in both of his starts on the Indy oval. … Reddick has three top-10 finishes in the last four races this season. … Bubba Wallace placed fifth and won a stage last year at Indianapolis. ... Wallace has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts on the Indy oval. … Riley Herbst won last year's Xfinity race at Indianapolis. Bad news: The organization remains winless this season (it had one victory at this point last year). … The organization has had fewer top-five finishes, fewer top 10s and led fewer laps compared to this time a year ago. Dustin Long, Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Todd Gilliland finished sixth at Indianapolis last year. … Noah Gragson finished ninth at Indy last year. … Zane Smith placed 17th last year at Indy. Bad news: Gilliland has place outside the top 20 in eight consecutive races. … Gragson has one finish in the top 25 in the last eight races. Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer finished fifth in his only Cup start on the Indy oval in 2020. Bad News: Custer has been no higher than 34th in the points since the second race of the season. Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: For the second year in a row, Chase Elliott is the points leader heading to Indianapolis. … Elliott took the points lead from William Byron last weekend at Dover. … In the last five races, Elliott went from being 104 points out of the lead to holding a 16-point advantage. … Kyle Larson won last year's Indianapolis race in double overtime. Bad news: Byron has an average finish of 25.3 in the last six races, ranking 31st among the 36 full-time drivers. … Byron has finished 27th or worse in his last two starts on the Indy oval. … Alex Bowman has never finished better than 21st in six Indy starts on the oval. … Bowman has finished on the lead lap once on the oval at Indy. Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 11th on the oval at Indy last year, the second-best result for the organization at that track (Chris Buescher placed ninth there in 2017). Bad news: Stenhouse has two top-20 finishes in the last eight races this season. Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Ty Gibbs will race Ty Dillon for $1 million in the final of the In-Season Challenge at Indianapolis. … Gibbs has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three races. … Chase Briscoe won and Denny Hamlin was second at Pocono, a track that has some similarities to Indianapolis. … Hamlin has a series-high four wins this season after his victory last weekend at Dover. … A win at Indy would make Hamlin the fifth driver to ever win the sport's four crown jewels (Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500), joining a list that has Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick. … Briscoe has finished second in each of the last two races. … Briscoe has placed either first or second in three of the last five races. … Briscoe's eight top-five finishes this season are a career-high. … Christopher Bell finished fourth at Indy last year. Bad news: Bell has finished 16th or worse in five of the last seven races. Kaulig Racing — Good news: Ty Dillon's Cinderella run through the In-Season Challenge continues with him racing Ty Gibbs for the $1 million prize Sunday at Indianapolis. … Dillon finished 19th in last year's race at Indy, while Gibbs placed 23rd. … Dillon has scored four consecutive top-20 Cup finishes for the first time since 2022. … Dillon's only Xfinity win came at Indy in 2014. Bad news: AJ Allmendinger is coming of a 37th-place finish at Dover after a suspension issue, snapping a streak of three consecutive top-20 finishes. Legacy Motor Club — Good news: The organization has four top-five finishes (it had none at this time last year) and 10 top 10s (compared to four at this time last year). Bad news: Erik Jones' average finish of 26.6 at Indianapolis is his worst among tracks he has made multiple starts. … John Hunter Nemechek has placed outside the top 20 in three of the last four races this season. Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Austin Dillon's 15th-place result at Dover was his best finish since Texas in May. … Kyle Busch has finished 11th or better in the last three races. … RCR Xfinity driver Jesse Love will make his fourth career Cup start, driving the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports this weekend. Bad news: Busch has not led a lap in the last nine races, tied for the longest streak in his career. Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware finished 18th at Indy last year, one of his best finishes in a limited Cup schedule in 2024. Bad news: Ware is coming off a 36th-place finish at Dover, his worst finish since Bristol in April. RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski has five top-10 finishes in the last nine races after having no top 10s in the season's first 12 races. … Keselowski is one of three former winners on the Indy oval entered this week (Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson are the others). … Chris Buescher has six top-10 finishes in the last 10 races. Bad news: Ryan Preece has an average finish of 27.3 at Indianapolis, his worst among active tracks. … Preece lost 13 points to the playoff cutline at Dover and is now 16 points out of the final playoff spot. Spire Motorsports — Good news: The organization has twice as many top-five finishes (four) and top-10 finishes (eight) as it did at this point last season. … Michael McDowell has had back-to-back top-20 finishes for the first time since March. … Justin Haley also has had back-to-back top-20 finishes for the first time since March. Bad news: Carson Hocevar has finished 29th or worse in five of the last seven races. Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney finished third and Austin Cindric placed seventh in last year's race at Indy. … Joey Logano has three consecutive top-15 finishes for the first time since April. Bad news: The organization has not had a top-five finish in the last four races, one short of its longest drought of the season. … Blaney has three top-10 finishes in the last nine races. Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Daniel Suarez has an average finish of 12.8 on the Indy oval, his best among all tracks with multiple starts. Bad news: Saurez has finished outside the top 25 in three of the last four races. Ross Chastain has only three top-10 finishes in the last 10 races. … Chastain has never finished better than 15th in four starts on the Indy oval. … Shane van Gisbergen has one top-20 finish in his last five starts on oval tracks this season. Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has started in the top 15 in three of the last four races on oval tracks this season. Bad news: Berry finished 35th last year at Indy in his only Cup start on the oval there. … Berry has failed to finish two of the last four races this season.
TimesLIVE
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
NASCAR updates rule book to protect 23XI and FRM entries
NASCAR has reportedly changed its rule book, likely in response to the latest ruling in the antitrust lawsuit by 23XI and Front Row Motorsports, ensuring the two teams will not miss any races as open teams. 23XI and Front Row Motorsports lost their charters after their suit against the NASCAR charter system earlier this year. A US district judge denied them a restraining order last week, leaving the teams reliant on qualifying for each individual race. However, the judge left the door open, saying if either team were in danger of missing a race due to field size, they could reapply for a temporary restraining order (TRO) as that could fit the definition of "irreparable harm" needed for a TRO, which would give the teams their charters back. "NASCAR, at its sole discretion, may elect to limit the number of entries for a race to 40. In such instances, open teams will be determined based on team owner points standings," the rule reads. Another update to the rule book states: "Up to six open teams will be eligible for starting grid positions based on the highest ranked team owner points standings." The two teams competed as open entries in the Cup Series last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, with 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin winning the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Hamlin announced to reporters at Dover that "all will be exposed" when the parties' trial is scheduled to begin on December 1. "All I can tell you, and this will be my blanket answer for all questions about this, is that if you want answers and you want to understand why this is all happening, come December 1, you'll get the answer you're looking for," Hamlin said. "All will be exposed."
