NASCAR insider defends Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter after controversial firing over Mexico comments: "Doesn't sit right"

NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck has shared his defense for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter, Tab Boyd, who was supposedly fired from his position at Hyak Motorsports following his comments last week about Mexico City.

Boyd's controversial post, where he shared his rather unpleasant experience of the city, went viral on social media, and some called his reaction inappropriate. However, The Athletic's Gluck added that firing him outright felt excessive.

"Saying the host city is a 'shithole' is poor form and you can understand why that drew a reaction. They could have fined Boyd or sat him for a week or something if they were that mad, but firing him? Doesn’t sit right," Jeff Gluck wrote on X.

Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar had also made a derogatory comment about the city during a Twitch stream. In his case, however, only a $50,000 fine was imposed, and he was mandated to undergo sensitivity training by his team.

In his now deleted post on X, Boyd talked about being "hustled" and complained of having his money snatched in under five minutes outside his hotel.

Gluck also pointed out in another tweet that Boyd did not make any racist remarks and shared that he was upset to see him lose his job.

"But Tab Boyd didn’t say anything racist or hateful. He apparently got scammed (don’t know the exact details) and was upset about it. I cringed when I saw his post, but didn’t think he’d get fired for it. Maybe not relevant here, but Tab Boyd also happens to be a really nice guy with a great family, so guess I just hate to see this in general," read part of Gluck's Tweet.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. concluded his outing at the 2.42-mile Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 27th place and slipped down by a place to 21st in the Cup Series standings.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter's comments about Mexico City

Several NASCAR teams and drivers faced major logistical challenges to reach Mexico City after transport issues. However, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter said he was scammed during his visit for the Cup Series’ first points-paying international race since 1958. He shared his frustrations and mentioned that he wanted to leave after feeling unsafe.

"I'm ready to go home, screw 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 five minutes. Good area my a**," Tab Boyd wrote on X.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealed this Friday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Clayton Hughes had replaced Boyd with veteran spotter ahead of the upcoming Pocono Raceway race. Boyd began spotting for Stenhouse Jr. at the start of the 2023 season.

This week's race in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to start at 2 pm ET on June 22.