This Week in Motorsports: June 9 – 15, 2025

• NCS/NXS: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – June 14-15
• ARCA: Berlin Raceway – June 14

PLANO, Texas (June 11, 2025) – NASCAR makes its highly-anticipated arrival to Mexico City and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with the Cup and Xfinity Series this weekend. The ARCA Menards Series heads off to Berlin Raceway for more short track action on its schedule.

NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS

Hamlin inching closer to win records … With his victory on Sunday at Michigan, Denny Hamlin now sits just three wins away from 60 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, which would tie him with Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time wins list. While earning his 57th overall win last weekend, Hamlin also captured win number 54 with Toyota, now sitting just two behind of Kyle Busch’s leading mark of 56 wins.

Bell looks to continue road course prowess … This weekend’s race in Mexico City is the second road course event of the 2025 Cup Series season after Christopher Bell won the first road course at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) back in March. Road courses have been kind to Bell over the course of his career, especially recently. The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver has four top-10 or better results in the last six road courses races, including the win at COTA and a runner-up result at the Charlotte ROVAL last October.

GR Supra drivers in and around Playoff cutline … After a week off, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action in Mexico City this weekend as the 2025 Playoffs near, with several Toyota GR Supra drivers in or in the hunt for the postseason. Brandon Jones sits eighth in the series points standings and is already locked into the Playoffs with his win at Darlington earlier this season. His JGR teammate Taylor Gray and Sam Hunt Racing (SHR)’s Dean Thompson find themselves just outside the provisional Playoff field entering this weekend, with Gray in the 14th position and Thompson in 16th with 12 races remaining in the regular season.

Bell, Gibbs return to Xfinity Series … JGR veterans Bell and Ty Gibbs are getting extra track time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez by running the Xfinity Series race on Saturday – Bell in the No. 24 GR Supra for JGR and Gibbs in the No. 19 GR Supra for JGR. This will be Bell’s second Xfinity Series start of the season after running at Darlington in April, where he captured the pole. Saturday will be his first Xfinity Series road course start since 2019 at the Charlotte ROVAL. For Gibbs, this will be his first Xfinity Series start of 2025, after running six races last season. He goes for his first Xfinity Series win after winning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Reaves for four wins in a row … JGR driver Max Reaves has had a dream start to his ARCA Menards Series career, winning in his first three starts in the ARCA Menards Series East – Five Flags Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, and Flat Rock Speedway. He makes his national ARCA Menards Series debut this weekend at Berlin Raceway, looking for a fourth consecutive win as he continues his development.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

EVENT: Viva Mexico 250 
DATE: June 15, 2025 
RACE: NASCAR Cup Series 16 of 36
TRACK: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico | 14-turn, 2.417-mile Road Course 

CLUB MINUTES:

VIVA MEXICO: Holding its first ever NASCAR Cup Series race, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is set for its debut this Sunday for the Viva Mexico 250. Built in the Magdelena Mixhuca public park in 1959, the circuit hosted its first Formula One (F1) race in 1962 for a non-championship race before becoming a full World Championship event the following year. While it’s been juggled around the F1 circuit, its consistently been a part of the schedule over the past couple of years. Over the years, the circuit has changed its layout several times to switch up the full 2.674-mile, 19-turn road course.

NASCAR’S HISTORY AT MEXICO: While the NASCAR Cup Series may be making history this weekend in its inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, the sport has held a position in Mexico over the years. From 2005-2008, the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit hosted four Xfinity Series races – Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch were among the winners there. In addition, NASCAR has also sanctioned the NASCAR Mexico Series since its formation in 2004 and the series held their season finale there last November.

NASCAR GOES INTERNATIONAL: While NASCAR has rarely branched outside of the United States in its history, it has tested the water over the years. In addition to the four Xfinity Series races held in Mexico, NASCAR also held two Cup Series races in Canada during its early years – 1952 and 1958. The Craftsman Truck Series also held annual races at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario from 2013-2019. The NASCAR Cup Series made its farthest trip international when it held exhibition races in Japan from 1996-1998.

NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner Johnson for their weekly podcast, “Never Settle”. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
BIRTHDAY BOY: Before heading to Mexico City this week, John Hunter will celebrate his 28th birthday on June 11.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE: Unfortunate circumstances relegated Nemechek to his first DNF of the season last week at Michigan, but year over year he is showing vast improvement. Last season his average starting position was 27.3 and finish was 25.42. This year he has an average start of 24.071 and finish of 19.429.

NEMECHEK ROAD COURSES STATS: Nemechek’s average finish at a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series is 28.3. In the Xfinity Series Nemechek has one top five and six top 10 finishes on road courses.

TMACK ON THE ROAD: Crew chief Travis Mack has a bunch of experience on road and street course tracks. In the 25 total starts, he has one victory with Daniel Suarez in 2022. Additionally, Mack has five top-five and seven top 10 finishes on road courses on his racing resume.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE: 

“I’m really excited for Mexico. It’s a new racetrack for a lot of the drivers in the garage. Hopefully, a lot of the prep that we’ve been able to do helps us out going into [Mexico] but it’s going to be an interesting event. I am excited to go out of the country again and see what NASCAR has been able to put together, overall, I’m really excited about it.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE: 

“We’ll have a good amount of practice, but we’ve been running a lot of laps in the simulator – John Hunter is doing his training – we’ll get there and see how the track is and the lap times, and we’ll work the strategy that weekend after Saturday.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
FAST IN MICHIGAN: Erik Jones found speed last Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series returned to his home track of Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400. Despite a slow start to the weekend in practice and qualifying, he rolled off 22nd for the race. He was fast at the drop of the green flag on Sunday though, consistently finding long run speed throughout the race and running in the top-10. He finished 10th in Stage 2 and went on to finish just outside the top-10 at the end of the race in 11th.

NEW TERRITORY FOR JONES: Jones goes international with his No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Viva Mexico 250. Despite this being his first race outside of the United States in the Cup Series, he has two races under his belt internationally in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – both coming at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. In his first start at the Canadian road course, Jones started third and finished in the same spot in August 2014 when he ran a limited schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). He returned the following year in his only full-time season in the Truck Series with KBM to start second, lead 19 laps, and score his second win of the season in August 2015. He went on to win the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series Championship.

JONES HISTORY ON ROAD COURSES: In the NASCAR Cup Series, Jones has a total of 35 starts on road courses. These have amounted in three top-fives and nine top-10s. His best finish of third came on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval in October 2020. Jones owns an additional five starts on road courses in the Xfinity Series where he has a best finish of sixth earned in August 2016 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. He has two more starts in the Craftsman Truck Series where he won in 2015 at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and finished third the year prior.

BESHORE ON ROAD COURSES: Crew chief Ben Beshore has been on top of the pit box for a total of 20 NASCAR Cup Series races at road courses. Overall, his teams have scored six top-fives and seven top-10s turning left and right in NASCAR’s elite series. He has an additional 16 road course starts in the Xfinity Series that amounted in one top-five and five top-10s.

ERIK JONES QUOTE: 

“Mexico is going to be interesting. I mean, it’s going to definitely be a lot of work to just get down there. We’ve raced out of the country before in Canada years ago in the Truck Series, and it was okay. It wasn’t a bad experience in any way, and it was honestly pretty easy. It’s a little bit different now here with the travel, but the track I think is good. It’s pretty unique. There’s some really high speed stuff, and then the really slow stuff in that stadium section is like 30 mph. So, there’s going to probably be some chaos down there. Overall, it’s hard to put judgment on it because I haven’t raced it before, so I don’t want to say good or bad. We’re racing at a new venue, out of the country. I think the crowd is going to be huge from talking to a handful of people. I don’t know, it’s a little bit hard. Just get there, do it once and see how it goes. To be honest, the travel’s a little overwhelming. I’m not a guy that is super excited about that part of it, but the race itself, I’m really looking forward to.”

BEN BESHORE QUOTE:

“With it being a new track, everyone is sort of on the same page as far as not too many guys have run there outside of some of the older guys who ran in the Xfinity Series there back in the day. We’re trying to do the most we can to prepare from a simulator standpoint to get Erik reps so he’s familiar with the track. With it being a practice event, we’ll have the opportunity to work on the cars there and hopefully work on our road course program to get it better than it was earlier in the season.”

TUNE IN:
The inaugural Viva Mexico 250 race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City will take place on Sunday, June 15. The race is set to broadcast on Amazon Prime, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 3 p.m. EDT.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

• Spire Motorsports will field three entries in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural visit to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. Two points-paying Cup Series races were held in Canada (1952 and 1958), while exhibition races were held in Japan and Australia throughout the 90s. The event will mark the third international points race for NASCAR’s premier division and first since 1958. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• Spire Motorsports will honor teammate Tony Witt who tragically lost his life Friday, June 6. Witt served as a suspension mechanic for the team’s NASCAR Cup Series’ operation and had been with the organization since March 2022. He was journeyman competitor who made the move from Wisconsin to North Carolina in the mid 90s to work alongside fellow Wisconsin racer Robbie Reiser on his fledgling NASCAR Xfinity Series team. Since then, he made stops and won races at Darrell Waltrip Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and others prior to his time with Spire. Witt leaves behind two sons, Dalton and Tyler, mother Jo Anne and brothers Todd and Jon. He was preceded in death by his late wife Paula. The team will honor Witt’s memory with a decal on all three of its NASCAR Cup Series entries this weekend in Mexico City.
• The Viva Mexico 250 will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, Sunday, June 15 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 16th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
• Haley finished second at the inaugural Grant Park 220 Chicago Street Race in 2023. In 25 Cup Series events contested on road courses, Haley has collected one top five and four top 10s.
• In the last five Cup Series road- and street-course races over the last two seasons, Haley has earned a 26.5 average showing, including a pair of 16th-place finishes (Circuit of the Americas ‘25/Chicago ’24).
• The 26-year-old veteran racer finished eighth in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet at the first Cup Series event to be held on the Indianapolis road-course layout.
• Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
• Last week at Michigan International Speedway, Haley battled handling issues throughout the 200-lap race and came home 21st in the final scoring tally.
• Haley won the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It was his second top-five finish in three starts at the venue. He finished fourth at the 2017 event.
• In NASCAR Xfinity Series road-racing competition, Haley has collected four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, including a pair of runner-up finishes (Indianapolis/Mid-Ohio) in 2020 and 2021.
• Haley, the 2016 ARCA Menards Series East Series Champion, never finished outside of the top-five in a road race while competing in the regional series.
• The former Trans-Am Series competitor owns 23 starts in the division’s TA2 Class where he collected 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. He closed out the 2016 season sixth in the division’s championship point standings after earning three poles, six top fives and nine top 10s while pacing the field for 41 laps.
• The Indiana native is a veteran of 161 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 103 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
• In total, Haley has made 57 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, including his first start in NASCAR’s premier division at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday.

Justin Haley Quote
What are your thoughts as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Mexico City for the first time?
“Mexico City will be a lot of fun for the industry, for the drivers and for the fans. This will be the first time I’ve raced this track, but we had good speed earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas and I feel pretty good about our road-race program. The biggest challenge is the high elevation, so I’ve been trying to prepare for that part of it. I have been sleeping in an altitude tent to train for the race. We’ll use practice to figure out the fast way around so we can be in a good spot for qualifying and the race.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

• Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and Haley’s crew chief.
• The Winston Salem, N.C., native has called 181 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• In total, the 41-year-old has called 25 road course races, earning a career-best eighth-place result with Corey LaJoie at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last season.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 B’laster Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
• McDowell will be one of the few drivers in the field with previous experience at the famed Mexican circuit. The veteran racer earned the victory in the 2005 La Gran De la Serie Rolex Sports Car race where he was paired with legendary road racer Memo Gidley at Finley Motorsports. The potent duo led 28 of 90 laps to collect the win in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series season finale.
• The following day, McDowell made his second start in the Champ Car World Series for the series’ 195-mile season finale. Driving for team owner Paul Gentilozzi, he qualified 16th and raced his way to an 11th-place finish in the Gran Premio Telmex-Tecate.
• One of the 40-year-old’s two Cup Series victories came on the road course configuration of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After qualifying fourth, the father of five kissed the bricks alongside his family by leading a field-leading 54 laps, tallying a 2.9 average running position and securing a career-best 141.1 driver rating.
• The No. 71 B’laster Chevrolet ZL1 will feature an in-car camera during this weekend’s race, showcasing the elite footwork and reaction time of the road course ace.
• B’laster LLC is a chemical manufacturing company based in Valley View, Ohio. Founded in 1957 with PB B’laster Penetrant, the company has since expanded its portfolio to include penetrants, lubricants, cleaners, solvents, removers, grease, protectants, and refrigerants.
• The Glendale, Ariz., native has logged an 18.0 average start and a 20.7 average finish at road courses across his career, a career-best at any track type.
• McDowell collected the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Road America, where he led 24 of 48 laps on an overcast Saturday afternoon, making the trip to Victory Lane in his lone start behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet.
• The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion will have a familiar voice on the spotter stand this week as McDowell’s cousin, Jason Noll, will assist primary spotter Michael Fisher during the Cup Series’ first visit to Mexico City.
• Last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, McDowell qualified 32nd and promptly raced his way towards the top 10. Unfortunately, the No. 71 team battled fuel pick-up issues during the late goings, ultimately saddling the team with a 30th-place finish.
• The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during last month’s visit to North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning the title of the fastest team on pit road.
• Through the first 15 races of the 2025 campaign, McDowell owns an average starting position of 14.8, including five starts inside the top 10.
• McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The No. 71 stands as the only Cup Series team to earn the award three times.
• McDowell secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quote
You have previous experience at the track in a variety of disciplines. Talk about that and if you think that experience gives you an advantage heading into this weekend.
“Anytime you have gone somewhere, had success, and experienced the racetrack, the culture, altitude adjustment, and all the things that we have to do going into this weekend, it gives you a little bit of extra confidence. It was a long time ago. It was 2005 when I was back in Mexico City for that double-header weekend where I ran IMSA in the Rolex prototypes. We sat on the pole and won the race on Saturday, then woke up the Sunday morning to run the IndyCar race. It is a little different than the double header that we are used to on the NASCAR side. I went from the prototype to the open wheel car, but I had a lot of fun. It was a great atmosphere. Fans are intense, engaged, and absolutely love motorsports. I think NASCAR is going to be embraced and it is going to be a huge event. I am looking forward to it. I know there is a lot of logistical challenges and stuff like that, but to me, it is a great opportunity to put our sport in a spotlight and go put on a good show at a great facility with very passionate fans.”

You’ve got B’laster on the car this weekend as the primary sponsor. How do you manage your expectations to perform well for a new partner?
“This is going to be our first race with B’laster on board, but we had GUNK, another brand in the B’laster family, with us at Talladega earlier this year. We are looking forward to continuing to build that partnership and brand. When they came on board, they really wanted Mexico City as one of their races. They knew it would be an opportunity for us to go run up front and have a shot at winning, so we hope to do that, right? Anytime you have a new partner onboard, you want to help continue to grow that brand and opportunity. I feel like running well is important and Mexico City is a good opportunity to do that.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• Crew chief Travis Peterson heads south of the border having called 11 NASCAR Cup Series races on road courses. Peterson called McDowell’s win in the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old Cup Series topkick has earned a 15.5 average finish at road courses, his best average finish at any track type with a minimum of 10 attempts.
• Peterson has called 91 races in NASCAR’s premier series, securing one win, four top fives, 18 top 10s and seven pole awards.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Totalplay Chevrolet ZL1 for the Viva Mexico 250.
• Totalplay is Mexico’s leading telecommunications provider, delivering top-quality connectivity and entertainment services through its 100% fully fiber-optic, direct-to-home network. Its commitment to innovation and excellence has positioned the company as the provider with the fastest internet, best service, and most advanced technology in the market. As part of Grupo Salinas, Totalplay continues to transform the industry by developing and integrating new technologies, offering unique experiences that redefine how Mexican households access the internet, television, and digital services.
• The Viva Mexico 250 will be the sixth Cup Series road-course event for the Portage, Mich., native who finished third in last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen.
• Hocevar has turned heads in recent weeks as a result of his aggressive driving style and the team’s high level of performance. The No. 77 crew captured the pole position at Texas Motor Speedway, led 22 laps and was in position for a top-five finish before a late caution mired Hocevar in traffic. Two weeks later at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, he was battling for the lead with 91 laps remaining when an engine failure ended his race. The next Sunday, at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Hocevar earned his second runner-up finish of the year – the first coming at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. In the most recent outing for the Cup Series, Hocevar returned to his hometrack of Michigan International Speedway where he started 14th, led 32 laps and came within 19 laps from his first Cup Series victory when tragedy struck in the form of a flat left-rear tire.
• In the last five races, Hocevar has led a total of 60 laps – six times more than he led in the first 10 races of the season.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
How do you feel about participating in the first points-paying international Cup Series race in the modern era this weekend in Mexico?
“I’m really excited. This is such a big moment for NASCAR and it will be nice to go to a new track that has hosted motorsports events in some of the top series in the world. We finished last year with a really strong showing at Watkins Glen and I felt like we had a decent car earlier this year at COTA, so it’ll be nice to have a full practice to get laps on track before we qualify. I think it’ll be a great weekend overall and a good show for all the fans”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Crew chief Luke Lambert will call his 37th road-course event from the pit box where he’s earned two top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• He also called four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in nine NASCAR Xfinity Series road-course races.
• The Viva Mexico 250 will mark the Mount Airy, N.C., native’s 60th race atop the pit box for Hocevar with 51 of those starts occurring with Spire Motorsports. Together they’ve earned three top-five, nine top-10 finishes, and captured Hocevar’s first Cup Series pole award on May 3 at Texas Motor Speedway.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

Mexico City Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 15
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Format: 100 Laps, 242 Miles, Stages: 20-45-100
TV: Prime
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 1:05 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 2:05 p.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 3 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity Practice (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. ET, Xfinity Qualifying (CW App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 12 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 4:30 p.m. ET, Xfinity Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• The NASCAR Cup Series makes its debut at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico, this weekend for the 16th points race on the schedule.
• This weekend marks the third of five races in the “Driving 4 a Difference presented by the Gene Haas Foundation,” a new in-season Ford tournament within the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
• Sam Mayer leads the tournament with 82 points, followed by teammate Sheldon Creed (77), Ryan Sieg (48), Harrison Burton (41) & Kyle Sieg (15).

Cole Custer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Aaron Kramer
Partner: HaasTooling.com

Sheldon Creed Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jonathan Toney
Partner: Pit Boss

Sam Mayer Team Info:
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
Partner: Audibel

Custer at Mexico City (Cup)
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Custer makes his 18th NCS road course start this weekend, where he has a best finish of ninth at the Charlotte Roval (2020) and Indy Road Course (2022).
• He has two career NXS road course wins, coming at Portland (2023) and the Chicago Street Race (2023).

Creed at Mexico City (Xfinity)
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Creed is set to make his 24th career road course start in the Xfinity Series this Saturday at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where he has nine career top-10 finishes.

Mayer at Mexico City (Xfinity)
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Mayer is in line for his 26th career road course start in the Xfinity Series this weekend, where he has 16 top-10 finishes, including nine in the top five. He has victories at the Charlotte Road Course (2023 & 2024), Watkins Glen (2023), and Elkhart Lake (2023).

Where They Stand

Cup Points Standings (41: 35th): Custer is 35th in the Cup Series points standings through 15 races this season with 175 points.

Xfinity Points Standings (41: 7th, 00: 8th): Mayer sits seventh in the Xfinity points standings with 472 total points on the season, behind the six winners, while Creed is in eighth place with 380 points heading into Mexico City this Saturday.

Mexico City Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 15
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Format: 100 Laps, 242 Miles, Stages: 20-45-100
TV: Prime
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 1:05 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday: 3:55 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 12 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Cup Race (Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• The NASCAR Cup Series makes its debut at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico, this weekend for the 16th points race on the schedule.
• In 266 road course starts all-time in the NCS, Jack Roush’s Fords have won six races and tallied 43 top-five and 93 top-10 finishes, along with six poles. In those 266 starts, an RFK Ford has led 640 laps for an average finish of 17.4.
• RFK Racing put all three Fords in the top 10 last weekend at Michigan, with Buescher (2nd) leading 13 laps while Preece (9th) and Keselowski (10th) rounded out the top 10.
• It marked the first time RFK Racing has placed three cars inside the top 10 since Daytona in July of 2016.

6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Castrol

17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Kroger / Colgate

Keselowski at Mexico City
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Keselowski makes his 50th road course start in the NCS this weekend in Mexico City, where he has three runner-up finishes. In his career, he has 11 top-10 finishes on road courses, but is winless in his 49 starts.
• In his lone road course race this season at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), he finished 15th after starting 26th.
• Keselowski has made two career starts at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the NXS, including a P8 finish in 2008.

Buescher at Mexico City
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

Buescher makes his 40th start at a road course in the NCS this weekend, where he has 16 career top-10 results, including 14 of the last 17.
He has one Cup Series win in his career on a road course, Watkins Glen last season, and finished seventh at COTA earlier this season despite starting 24th.
Buescher has finished eighth or better in six of the last eight road course races.

Preece at Mexico City
Starts: —
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —

• Preece is set for his 25th Cup Series race on a road course this Sunday, where he has a best finish of ninth at the Daytona Road Course (2021) and Watkins Glen (2024).
• He recorded his sixth top-10 finish of the season last weekend at Michigan, which is a career-high for the Berlin, CT native.

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Michigan: Buescher 2nd, Preece 9th & Keselowski 10th.

Points Standings (17: 14th, 60: 16th, 6: 32nd): Buescher remains 20 points above the cutline, while Preece is tied with Kyle Busch for the final playoff spot. Keselowski sits in 32nd despite a strong points day at Michigan.