The NASCAR Cup Series’ trip to Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was supposed to be a bold step into new territory, but it kicked up a firestorm instead. Just days before the 2025 Chilango 150, Spire Motorsports’ young gun Carson Hocevar, all of 22, lit a match on a Twitch livestream, calling Mexico City a “s—hole” while griping about safety, travel, and race logistics. The backlash was swift as NASCAR slapped him with a $50,000 fine, mandated sensitivity training, and Hocevar backpedaled hard, admitting, “Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country … should never give an opinion…” The kid learned a tough lesson, but he wasn’t the only one stirring the pot south of the border.

Enter Tab Boyd, the veteran spotter for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 47 team, who didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Mexico City either. After getting scammed outside his hotel, Boyd vented on social media saying, “I’m ready to go home, s—- this place, people can talk it up all they want… can’t even walk out the front door of the hotel without getting hustled and money snatched… in less than 5 minutes. Good area my (expletive).”

With years of experience, including stints with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and a 2023 Daytona 500 win with Stenhouse, Boyd’s no rookie, but his rant cost him. Hyak Motorsports showed him the door, and the NASCAR world braced for the fallout.

Then came the plot twist nobody saw coming. Just days after his firing, Boyd landed a plum gig spotting for Christopher Bell at Joe Gibbs Racing for the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bell’s longtime spotter, Stevie Reeves, stepped down before the Coca-Cola 600, leaving rookie Matt Philpott to fill in temporarily.

Now, JGR’s betting on Boyd’s experience to keep Bell’s No. 20 Toyota in the hunt on Atlanta’s high banks. It’s a bold move for a team chasing wins, but fans aren’t exactly popping champagne over it.

The fan reactions to this have absolutely blown up, with a Reddit thread spotlighting Bob Pockrass’s tweet: “Former Stenhouse spotter Tab Boyd is on the roster as spotter for Christopher Bell this weekend at Atlanta.” The comments are a fiery mix of shock and outrage.

Fans Let Loose on Boyd’s JGR Comeback

The Reddit thread lit up like a caution flag, with fans unloading their frustrations over Tab Boyd’s quick rebound. Here’s the raw scoop. “Lol, man fell upwards.” Talk about a mic drop and this quip nails Boyd’s wild ride from fired to hired. After Hyak Motorsports cut him loose for his Mexico City rant, landing a JGR gig spotting for Christopher Bell feels like a promotion, controversy be damned. It’s the kind of head-scratcher that has fans rolling their eyes.

“Dang, sucks that Matt Philpott didn’t work out. know he was trying to make his name known.” Rookie spotter Matt Philpott got a shot when Stevie Reeves left JGR, but his stint was short-lived. Boyd’s arrival signals Philpott didn’t lock in the role long-term, leaving fans bummed for the young gun who was hustling to break through.

“Everyone acts like this team isn’t owned by a three time Super Bowl champion. Tab Boyd being a loudmouth idiot is minor compared to some players he’s had.” Joe Gibbs, JGR’s boss, is no stranger to big egos. A three-time Super Bowl champ with the Washington Redskins, Gibbs handled wild cards like John Riggins, who once told President Reagan to “loosen up” at a banquet. Fans see Boyd’s outburst as small potatoes compared to Gibbs’s NFL days

“Really don’t understand why some are surprised. Any company/enterprise/organization that sees an experienced worker who got canned for an arguably minor thing in the grand scheme of things is going to think ‘This dude’s out of options, we could get him cheap’.” JGR’s move makes cold, hard sense as Boyd’s a seasoned pro, and his Mexico meltdown was a one-off. Snagging a veteran spotter on a budget is classic business smarts, even if fans aren’t thrilled.

“Failing up after saying something stupid on the internet, in NASCAR known as the ‘Larson career arc’.” This one stings, drawing a line to Kyle Larson’s 2020 iRacing slur scandal, which cost him his ride at Chip Ganassi Racing. After apologies and training, Larson bounced back with Hendrick Motorsports, winning the 2021 Cup title. Boyd’s quick JGR hire feels like a similar redemption story, and fans aren’t sure whether to cheer or jeer.

As the Quaker State 400 looms at EchoPark Speedway on June 28, 2025, airing at 7:00 PM ET on TNT Sports, Boyd’s return adds another layer of drama to an already wild season. Fans may be fuming, but with Bell chasing playoff glory, JGR’s betting Boyd’s experience outweighs the baggage.