In 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, including both pavement and dirt surfaces, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and six top-25 finishes with nine different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finished 15th in the 2022 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
The Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, March 17, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The fifth of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR RaceDay’s pre-race coverage on FS1 will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT and shift to FOX at 3 p.m.
Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Corey LaJoie will make his 15th NCS start at Bristol Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Food City 500. In 14 previous starts at “Thunder Valley”, including both pavement and dirt surfaces, LaJoie has an average start of 29.8, an average finish of 27.6, led 48 laps led and completed 4,807 of 5,500 laps attempted (85.4 percent).
- Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”), a Group 1001 company, is an insurtech which strives to offer products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Gainbridge’s digital-first distribution model underpins its mission to reach all communities, including those that have been historically underserved by the national financial system.
- LaJoie earned a series/venue-best 15th-place finish in the September 17, 2022 Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
- In the NCS most recent visit to Bristol Motor Speedway, the Concord, N.C. driver started 10th and finished 25th behind the wheel of the Jessie Rees Foundation (NEGU) Chevy.
- Last weekend at Phoenix Raceway, LaJoie started 35th but ultimately finished 33rd after being collected in a lap-206 incident, forcing the third-generation racer to retire from the event prior to the checkered flag.
- LaJoie is currently tied for with Spire Motorsports teammate Carson Hocevar for 23rd in the NCS championship point standings. Both drivers are 10 points outside 20th, while just 17 markers separate them from the top 15.
Corey LaJoie Quotes
Tough result last weekend at Phoenix but you’ve had some good runs at Bristol so that seems like a good track to bounce back from a less-than-ideal weekend.
“Looking forward to the opportunity to rebound at Bristol with the Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro. We’ve had good speed there the last couple races, so we just need to execute a solid day and try to walk away with a top 10.”
Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Zane Smith will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500 on Sunday driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. It marks his fifth NCS start for Spire Motorsports and his 14th career start.
- On Saturday night, Smith will make his eighth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) start at Bristol. It will be the second race of the four-race campaign with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado.
- Smith started 28th in Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix Raceway. The Huntington Beach, Calif., native held his position throughout the 312-lap race that saw few cautions, taking the checkered flag in 29th.
- Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
- Fans can now pre-order Focused Health No. 71 Zane Smith merchandise at shopzanesmith.com.
Zane Smith Quotes
Bristol is the first short track of the season, how are you feeling going into Sunday’s race?
“Our goal is to keep getting better each weekend. Bristol is definitely its own animal, but a fun track to race. The fans always provide a great atmosphere there and I am looking forward to being able to race on both Saturday and Sunday. It’s going to be a busy weekend but a lot of fun.”
You have carried the blue and orange Focused Health paint scheme with you for the last two races and including this coming weekend at Bristol. What’s this partnership mean to you?
“I’m fortunate for this partnership with Focused Health and it’s incredibly important to me. I’ve had great support from Shawn Holt and Larry Cassar during my racing career. It’s my job this year to bring awareness to the government supported health insurance programs available to our fans.”
Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Carson Hocevar comes into the Food City 500 leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year rankings and tied with Spire Motorsports teammate Corey LaJoie for 23rd in the NCS championship point standings. Both drivers are 10 points outside 20th, while just 17 markers separate them from the top 15.
- In his lone NCS start at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hocevar started 16th and finished 11th in last September’s Bass Pro Shops night race to record his best finish to date in NASCAR’s premier division.
- In collaboration with Gainbridge, a Group 1001 company, Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will carry the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) this weekend. The CRSF helps to strengthen America’s most underserved and distressed communities by supporting and advocating for children, building Youth Development Parks and STEM Centers, partnering with law enforcement and youth-service agencies, and addressing community needs through its national program initiatives. CRSF has opened 465 STEM Centers nationwide, gifting children in communities across the country a new access to state-of-the-art technology, hands-on learning experiences, and skill sets essential to the future of STEM.
- Hocevar continues his impressive rookie campaign following a hard-fought 15th-place finish at Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. In four NCS races this season, the 21-year-old has recorded a 17.0 average start and a 22.3 average finish.
- In his four previous Bristol starts in the NCTS, Hocevar has earned two top-10s and boasts an average finish of 11.5. The Portage, Mich., native led six laps and completed 799 of the 800 laps contested (99.9 percent).
- Season ticket holders at BMS can meet Hocevar for a question-and-answer session in the Loyalty Lounge on Sunday, March 17, at noon.
- Hocevar’s crew chief Luke Lambert called Noah Gragson’s 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at the high-banked, half-mile oval. The victory was part of a four-race win streak that spanned Darlington, Kansas, Bristol and Texas Motor Speedway.
- In 372 races a top the pit box, Lambert has called one win, 26 top-five and 86 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier division.
Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’ve secured two consecutive top-15 finishes to kick off your rookie year. How are you staying focused and motivated to maintain this momentum and build on your impressive start?
“I feel like we’ve been able to capitalize on a couple challenging races and finish in the top 15. Both races ended up being solid days for points. It all builds together. So, to keep momentum, we keep bringing fast race cars and capitalize, adapt and overcome any challenges that are thrown our way. That way you know when we have those good days, we’ll really let the results show.”
Last year, your best NCS finish was an 11th at Bristol, where you even reached fifth by the end of stage two. What strategies can you use to replicate that success and potentially achieve an even better result at Bristol this time around?
“You know, we got to fifth and had to hold on with a loose wheel and finished in 11th which really showed the strength of our racecar that week, to be able to hold on like that for 130 laps. So, I think Luke and I, having that notebook of confidence walking into this place with the help of our pit crew, we should be able to have a better finish than what we got in the fall.”
From the Top of the Box
Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
- Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020.
- Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a pair of top four in the 2024 Daytona 500.
Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Stephen Doran begins his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team during the 2024 season.
- In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
- Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.
Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar
- The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher.
- In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023, when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
