NASCAR driver forced to apologize over insulting Mexico remark as he's hit with punishment
Following the NASCAR Cup Series' first race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City over the weekend, Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar was fined for insulting comments about the track and the country.
Hocevar was on a live stream in the days prior to finishing 34th out of 37 drivers at the track that is best known for hosting the Mexico City Grand Prix in Formula One.
When asked for his thoughts on the race, Hocevar went off on the organizers, the track itself, and the city - which he described as a 's**thole' before even taking a lap around the track.
'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 to, or feel so locked down like you can't leave anywhere, it'd be a great experience,' the 22-year-old Michigan native said live on a Twitch stream.
After his disparaging comments, Spire Motorsports slapped Hocevar with a $50,000 fine and placed him in mandatory 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,' a statement from the race team read.
'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.'
The team said that NASCAR was informed of their discipline of Hocevar and did not impose any further punishment.
Hocevar fully apologized back on Sunday, saying in part, 'My opinion has changed. I am embarrassed by my comments.'
Nearly two hours after Spire posted their statement - and received plenty of backlash - Hocevar publicly admitted fault again.
'Whoa everybody, the truth is the truth,' he began. '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. You 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.'
The fine Hocevar will pay is being distributed to the Mexican Red Cross, the Mexican United Way, and Un Kilo de Ayuda - a nonprofit combating childhood malnutrition and supporting early-childhood development.
Hocevar sits 20th in the NASCAR Drivers' Championship standings - with his best results being second-place finishes at Atlanta and Nashville. The series heads to Pocono in Pennsylvania this weekend.
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