During last week’s Mexico City’s Viva México 250 on Lap 66, Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevy spun out in Turn 14, lodged sideways like a stubborn roadblock. NASCAR waited, hoping he’d fire it back up, but the caution flag dropped, flipping the race’s flow.

Ty Gibbs, cruising in the lead, got stung when the yellow forced a strategy scramble for those who hadn’t pitted. Mexico’s electric crowd, still buzzing from Shane van Gisbergen’s pole and Daniel Suárez’s Xfinity win, turned sour as Hocevar’s spin stole the show’s momentum.

The real fireworks came post-race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., boiling over, stormed to Hocevar’s car, yelling through the window after the Spire driver brake-hopped in the stadium section, spinning Stenhouse’s No. 47. Stenhouse’s crew relayed a sharp message: he’d deal with Hocevar at Pocono.

The Hyak Motorsports driver didn’t mince words, vowing to settle the score back in the States, where he’d have no qualms about escalating things. The Mexico clash, following a Nashville incident where Hocevar ended Stenhouse’s race early, has pushed their feud to a breaking point.

Stenhouse’s Final Straw

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rolled into Pocono Raceway still steaming from Mexico City’s chaos. “I’m tired of giving the kid any publicity,” he said, his eight-word jab at Carson Hocevar cutting deep. The frustration stems from a pattern—Hocevar’s spun him out twice in three races.

At Nashville, Hocevar’s contact on Lap 106 sent Stenhouse’s No. 47 into the wall, wrecking his day. They talked it out before Michigan, with Hocevar waving him by during the race, but Mexico’s Lap 66 spin in the stadium section undid any goodwill. “I know he didn’t mean to spin us out, but it still happened,” Stenhouse told reporters Saturday. “It’s kind of like Nashville… He just did.”

The Mexico incident cost Stenhouse a shot at a top-20 finish, critical with Shane van Gisbergen’s win tightening the playoff bubble. Now 61 points below the cutline and one behind Hocevar, Stenhouse’s patience is shot. “After we spun three or four times, I was just tired of getting spun out,” he said.

The No. 47 team thought they were in a good spot post-Michigan, but Hocevar’s move erased six or seven positions. Stenhouse’s restraint in Mexico—avoiding a physical clash due to unfamiliar local laws—shows he’s playing the long game, but his warning’s clear: Pocono’s his turf.

Hocevar’s not deaf to the heat. At Pocono, he admitted he’d “probably” give Stenhouse space in The Great American Getaway 400, a nod to the mounting tension.

Spire’s Jeff Dickerson spoke with Stenhouse after Mexico, but the drivers haven’t talked since the pit-road shouting match. Stenhouse’s focus is clawing back points, but Hocevar’s on his radar. “I don’t know where it goes or what happens, but… we’ve got a job to do,” he said, hinting at unfinished business.

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Charity boxing match buzz

The Stenhouse-Hocevar feud’s taken a wild turn, with Stenhouse pitching a charity boxing match to settle the score. Reaching out to Barstool Sports’ Spider, Stenhouse wants to glove up against the 22-year-old Spire driver, turning their rivalry into a spectacle for a cause.

Celebrity boxing’s hot—NFL stars, NBA players, and YouTubers have stepped into the ring for charity—and Stenhouse sees it as a way to end the drama fast. Ryan Blaney’s betting on Stenhouse, no surprise given his 2023 All-Star Race brawl with Kyle Busch showed he’s not afraid to throw down.

The idea’s a long shot—sanctioning a fight quickly is tough—but it’s got fans buzzing. Nashville and Mexico City have made Stenhouse and Hocevar the talk of NASCAR, their crashes fueling headlines.

Pocono’s 2.5-mile triangle, with its wide, high-speed stretches, could spark another clash. Hocevar’s got speed, but Stenhouse, a veteran not known for backing off, is itching to even things up. A boxing match might be the only way to keep their beef off the track, raising money while settling a score that’s got the sport on edge.