Iowa Native named to Spire Motorsports All-Star Lineup
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 27, 2024) – Sammy Smith will steer Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado in four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) races in 2024, beginning with the April 5 Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
In addition to the Martinsville Friday-night-under-the lights 200-lap tilt, Smith will be in the cockpit of the No. 7 Chevy Silverado May 18 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, July 19 at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) and August 25 at the Milwaukee Mile.
Smith, 19, is the full-time driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). He has logged three top-10 finishes in five races this season and earned a season-best eighth-place effort earlier this month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In 2023, the talented prospect scored his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Phoenix Raceway in just his 13th start and went on to score the division’s rookie-of-the year honors.
The Johnston, Iowa native has three previous NXS starts at the legendary Virginia speedway where he finished second and third, respectively last season. Smith, a two-time ARCA Menards East Series Champion, is also a previous Milwaukee race winner in ARCA Menards Series competition.
TMC Transportation will serve as Smith’s primary sponsor at Martinsville. Pilot Flying J will assume the same role at North Wilkesboro and Golden Harvest will round out Smith’s time behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy Silverado at IRP and Milwaukee.
“I am looking forward to these four races with Spire Motorsports,” said Smith. “These tracks are good tracks for me, and I know that Spire knows how to bring fast trucks, capable of winning. I am thankful for the support of TMC Transportation, Pilot Flying J, Golden Harvest, and all of my partners. We hope to make them proud of our results.”
Smith made his lone NCTS start in last year’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway where he started 20th and raced his way to a respectable 14th-place finish.
Smith is a six-time ARCA Menards Series national tour race winner, who has won eight times in the ARCA Menards Series East and once in the ARCA Menards Series West. The talented teenager earned a CARS Pro Late Model Tour victory in 2021 at Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway and four pavement super late model wins that same season. A year later, he picked up another super late model victory in a combination ARCA CRA Super Series/Southern Super Series race at North Wilkesboro.
He has also earned wins in some of the United States’ most notable late model races including the Winchester 400, Red Bud 400 and Florida Governor’s Cup.
“Sammy Smith is a versatile talent who is a great addition to our all-star driver lineup for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevy Silverado,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “He’s a remarkably talented short-track racer who has already won at the Milwaukee Mile and North Wilkesboro, so he’s a perfect fit for this four-race schedule. We’re excited to see him in the seat in a couple weeks at Martinsville.”
The Long John Silver’s 200 from Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday April 5, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The sixth of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
About TMC Transportation …
TMC Transportation, celebrated its 50th anniversary 2022 and is the nation’s largest employee-owned open deck transportation company. TMC provides expert transportation services and supply-chain management solutions throughout the 48 contiguous states. Founded in 1972, TMC is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and is known for its integrity, innovation, superior safety record, and dedication to quality and customer service. The company’s claim-free, on-time delivery record is the best in the business and is consistently recognized by its customers. Visit tmctrans.com.
About Pilot Travel Centers LLC…
Pilot Travel Centers LLC keeps North America’s drivers moving as the leading energy and experience provider people rely on to fuel their journeys. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Travel Centers LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and employs approximately 30,000 team members. As the largest network of travel centers, Pilot Travel Centers LLC has more than 870 Pilot, Flying J and One9 locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces, serving an average of 1.3 million guests per day. In addition to travel center services, Pilot Travel Centers LLC offers trucking fleets a variety of solutions for fuel, credit, factoring, maintenance and rewards. The company operates the third largest fuel tanker fleet in North America and supplies approximately 14 billion gallons of fuel per year. Pilot Travel Centers LLC is committed to shaping the future of energy as the largest provider of biodiesel and renewable fuels and through the development of a coast-to-coast EV charging network and low carbon fueling alternatives. For additional information about Pilot Travel Centers LLC, visit pilotflyingj.com.
About Golden Harvest …
Golden Harvest Seeds has been working with and listening to farmers with intention since 1973, offering in-depth seeds expertise combined with the local agronomic know-how of an independent Golden Harvest Seed Advisor to help identify custom solutions for every corn and soybean acre. Today, each Golden Harvest hybrid or variety is bred with the individual needs of hardworking farmers in mind. Golden Harvest® corn hybrids feature elite genetics with proven performance and the most complete above- and below-ground insect control solutions with the Duracade® and Viptera® trait stacks. Golden Harvest soybean varieties include the industry’s broadest trait choice and exclusive genetics that set a new standard for performance and yield potential.
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 March 1, 2024, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
