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- Round Two for Stenhouse Jr.!
Round Two for Stenhouse Jr.!
Jun 2, 2025 | Edition #183
👋 Dear Motorheads,
Team Penske now has all three drivers in the playoffs. After a failed Coca-Cola 600, Ryan Blaney somehow proved himself in Nashville. And, the Cracker Barrel 400 had its fair share of controversies. Yes, involves the 2024 All-Star villain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; this time, he’s on the receiving end.
Meanwhile, stock car racing may have found its newest the youngest 12-year-old superstar who just secured a historic win in the CARS Tour West Pro Late Model.
🏁 Nashville Race Report
Blaney Breaks Through With His First Win of 2025
🏆 Ryan Blaney secured his 14th career win at the 2025 Cracker Barrel 400.
🤏 Carson Hocevar finished runner-up for the second time in the 2025 Cup Series season.
🫤 Denny Hamlin finished 3rd and was competing in his 700th Cup Series start at Nashville Superspeedway.
📊 Other Notable stats from the weekend
Team Penske secured its 153rd Cup Series win, tying Junior Johnson & Associates for the 4th most all-time.
William Byron, who finished P5, continues to top the leaderboard
Yes, Blaney has finally done it! After 5 DNFs and a rocky start to his title-defending campaign, the reigning 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion silenced the doubts with a commanding win at the Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville.
Starting deep in the pack from 15th, Blaney knew he had a mountain to climb at the 1.33-mile Superspeedway. Thanks to a brilliant two-tire pit call and a methodical charge through the field, the No. 12 found clean air when it mattered most.
He led a race-high 139 of 300 laps and never looked back once he reclaimed the lead with 32 to go, pulling away the lead from Hocevar with a 2.83-second margin. As it was the first win for him, the sold-out crowd roared with joy.
“I never gave up hope, that’s for sure. We’ve had great speed all year, just hasn’t been the best year for us as far as good fortune,” Blaney said post-race. That’s certainly one way to put it.
And, everything worked like clockwork; his No. 12 crew nailed the pit stops, and his car was fast on the long runs. So, Blaney gave the credit where it’s due.
“The 12 boys are awesome, they stick with it no matter how it goes, and it was great to finish one out tonight.” Watch the full interview here!
This win also marked Team Penske’s second straight Cup Series win at Nashville Superspeedway, after Joey Logano won the race last year. Blaney also became the ninth different winner at NASCAR’s highest level this season, highlighting just how competitive the series can be.
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🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Vows Another Revenge
Hocevar just can’t stay out of controversy, can he? Unfortunately for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., he was on the receiving end this time around.
The 2025 Cracker Barrel 400 turned into somewhat of a nightmare for the 37-year-old, who entered the race with high hopes after starting in 13th place. But as luck would have it, he was forced to settle for just one point after getting dumped in Stage 2.
Stenhouse Jr. was running 17th at Nashville Superspeedway when Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevy hit him from behind. The next thing we saw was the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevy spinning uncontrollably. Look at Stenhouse Jr slam into the outside wall.
And that was one clumsy mistake.
To make matters worse, Stenhouse Jr. felt his vehicle was just finding its groove when the incident occurred. “We were just burning our right-rear tire off there throughout the run.”
Visibly angry at being forced to retire early, he was seen slamming his steering wheel after the incident occurred. When asked if he would discuss the wreck with Carson Hocevar, the veteran made a vow, saying, “Oh, I will.” Visibly angry and fuming, watch here!
And, for Hocevar, he wasn’t exactly apologetic. “I feel like that was just a common move with how big of a run I had,” Hocevar added, as he finished P2. He even said Ricky Stenhouse Jr. needs to cut him a break. Take a look.
Adding fuel to the fire, Josh Berry said, “Might finally see the No. 77 get punched after that.” He wasn’t kidding either. Maybe Hocevar needs to watch his back, especially after Stenhouse Jr. issued a clear warning by saying, “Definitely will have something to do about it at one point.”
🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll! 🏁
With Stenhouse Jr. Vowing to ‘Have Something to Do About It,’ Should Carson Hocevar Be Worried? |
🔎 The In-Depth View
NASCAR Drivers are Divided!
After hearing Elton Sawyer’s “work in progress” comments on the horsepower upgrade last week, the drivers couldn’t help but weigh in. And, most of them have come to a common consensus.
“You know, I think everything that we’ve done with this car from the old car is bigger tires, bigger brakes, less horsepower, and … it’s just not conducive to better racing in my opinion,” said Kyle Busch, summing it up in the best possible way.
Reigning champ, just like Denny Hamlin and Busch, also liked the idea. “I want to do it. Like, not just the engine, but the drive train. It’s got to be beefed up more.”
However, for others, such as Ryan Preece and Josh Berry, increasing horsepower is just a means to an end. According to them, more HP will give the Next-Gen car the ability to make cleaner passes, race harder, and lead to more innovative team strategies.
But Josh Berry, unlike the rest, had a very bold stance. He wants NASCAR to go big or go home. He even takes a sly dig at the tires, comparing everything to Late Models, and calling them superior. Hear out his comparison!
But there are drivers in the garage who don’t think horsepower would solve the real NASCAR’s problems.
Michael McDowell called out the entire grid. “I think it’s just an illusion that some of the drivers and media are trying to paint.”
In all, the majority want NASCAR to do something, anything, that will make racing on short tracks interesting again. However, with newer fans tuning in after the pivot to Amazon Prime, perhaps it’s time for the sanctioning body to finally give the drivers what they’ve been desperately asking for.
🎥 Sunday’s Top Highlight
At Nashville, Carl Edwards reflected on the weight Bubba has carried as NASCAR’s only Black driver in recent years. And, the moment turned emotional. Bubba, holding back tears, opened up about the NEW strength and light in his unwavering support system.
📈 Trending News
Battle of Harvicks: Son Capitalizes on Father’s Misfortune
Folks, if you were at Kern Raceway on Saturday night, you’d probably know just how high the excitement was at the short track. After all, the long-awaited battle between Kevin Harvick and his 12-year-old son was just about to take place.
Stands were all filed, and the speedway was buzzing with anticipation. And, just then, Keelan Harvick made the headlines, securing his first-ever CARS Tour West Pro Late Model win with style.
It looks like the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. The 12-year-old started on pole and showed fast pace throughout the race, but wasn’t really in the mix. Instead, it was Kevin Harvick, Buddy Shepherd, and Jacob Gomes until they were engaged in a heated three-way battle for that CARS Tour win. And, a disaster struck, making way for Kevin’s son.
Gomes was on the inside, and the other two on the outside, and Kevin in that turn 1 made a three-wide. The commentators in the box literally lost a breath when Gomes started nudging Kevin, trying to make his way, until he crashed out. This is how Gomes bumped Kevin’s No. 29 car.
Buddy Shepherd was also caught in the crossfire. The front four were wiped out of the race, paving the way for Keelan Harvick, who was running in the fifth.
And, it was far from smooth sailing for junior Harvick. But he kept driving with maturity beyond his years, and the 12-year-old wrestled back the top spot. The crowd was loud as he grabbed a historic win.
“I just can’t thank all the fans enough for coming out,” said Keelan. And, he had some really wise yet harsh words for his age, to none other than his father. The two stood together for a post-race briefing in their red Hunt Brothers Pizza suits and did some cool banter. Here’s Keelan’s fun/wise warning for Kevin.
In all, the race felt like a full-circle moment for the family. And, Kevin slowly walked in pride towards Keelan’s car, like the father who had already seen the best of the future. He said his 3 words of wisdom, and Keelan jumped out of the car in excitement. Watch the historic moment.
In what seemed like a classic dad response, he said, “It ended up benefiting Keelan.” While it might not have been the result the NASCAR legend wanted, the memories of the day will remain etched in his mind forever.
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