- The SpeedyCash.com 250 will mark the first time Spire Motorsports will field a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) entry at Texas Motor Speedway (LVMS). Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NCTS. 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.
- The SpeedyCash.com 250 will be televised live on FS1 Friday April 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The seventh of 23 NCTS races on the 2024 schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
- Kyle Busch will be making his fourth of five NCTS starts for Spire Motorsports in Friday’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.
- The 38-year-old driver has made 70 starts at Texas Motor Speedway across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. In 33 races in NCS competition, Busch has logged four wins, 14 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. His resume includes 10 NXS wins in 23 starts, 17 top fives and 18 top 10s. In 14 NCTS races at the venerable Fort Worth, Texas oval, Busch has compiled five wins and 10 top-four finishes. He’s won the last three times he has raced a truck at Texas (2014, 2019 and 2020).
- In three NCTS starts for Spire Motorsports, Busch has one win (2/24 – Atlanta), led 151 laps and collected two top-five finishes. In his most recent event, he finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway. His fifth and final Truck Series race this season will be May 11 at Darlington Raceway.
- Realtree is the world’s leading camouflage designer and provides innovative products and experiences for hunters, fishermen, and outdoor enthusiasts. With a commitment to quality, authenticity, and unparalleled customer service, Realtree continues to shape the outdoor industry with its iconic designs and industry-leading partnerships.
- Realtree is an Official Partner of Turkey’s for Tomorrow – a non-profit group dedicated to wild turkey conservation, formed by veteran turkey hunters who were concerned about the future of the wild turkey and the turkey hunting tradition.
- In addition to being the winningest driver in Truck Series history with 65 wins, Busch also leads the series all-time with an average finish of 6.4 and ranks second in laps led (7,938).
- ‘Rowdy’ has won 37.6 percent (65/173) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 57.6 percent (99/172). Over his last 34 Truck Series starts he has posted an average finish of 3.3, while registering 17 wins and 20 runner-up finishes.
- With his win at Atlanta, he extended his series-best streak of winning at least one race to 12 consecutive NCTS seasons (2013-2024).
- After six races, the No. 7 team ranks fifth in the 2024 NCTS owner point standings. The No. 7 team has complied an average starting position of 5.3 and an average finish of 8.3 while leading 156 laps this season. Busch led a race-high 33 laps en route to the team’s victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Most recently, Sammy Smith raced the No. 7 Silverado to an eighth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.
Kyle Busch Quotes
How cool is it for you to be carrying Realtree’s iconic camouflage design?
“Realtree has partnered with some of the most iconic names in NASCAR over a very proud history in the sport, so I’m honored that Bill and Tyler Jordan have chosen me to be the latest driver to carry Realtree’s iconic camouflage design on the race track. We’ll head to Texas hunting another Truck Series victory with our No. 7 Silverado and, at the same time, we’ll raise awareness for Turkey’s for Tomorrow with a really cool paint scheme guaranteed to stand out on the track.”
Do you enjoy racing in the Truck Series at Texas?
“The fast mile-and-a-half tracks like Texas, Charlotte and Las Vegas are ones that I’ve really enjoyed racing in the Truck Series, and I’ve had a lot of success at, so I’m looking forward to Friday night. When we were putting together my five-race schedule this offseason, it was definitely high on my list of races that I wanted to do and I’m glad that it worked out and we were able to get Realtree to come onboard for it. If you look back at last year’s race, Nick (Sanchez) dominated the race and Chase (Purdy) and Jack (Wood), had a lot of speed as well, so I think that we should have a really fast Realtree Silverado Friday night. Texas has one of the coolest Victory Lane celebrations on the circuit and that camouflage and neon green scheme would look really good parked in there.”
Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
- Rajah Caruth will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.
- Caruth started 16th and finished seventh last week in the Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville Speedway.
- HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protections programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
- Caruth started 15th and finished 19th in last season’s annual NCTS stop to the Fort Worth oval.
- With his first career NCTS win and pole position earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Caruth became the third African American driver, alongside NASCAR Hall of Famer, Wendell Scott and current NASCAR Cup Series regular Bubba Wallace, to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race.
- Caruth is currently seventh in the NCTS championship point standings after six races. He has logged one pole, one win, five top-10’s and six top-15 finishes. He’s recorded a 11.0 average start, a 7.0 average finish and completed 100 percent of the laps contested this season.
- Caruth started racing professionally online for the first time in the eNASCAR Ignite Series. He finished 20th in points. Caruth still races with iRacing for recreation.
- Rajah Caruth Quotes
How are you feeling about Texas this week?
“I feel similar to how I did going into Vegas. I know that tracks like these are not only a strength for our program but also myself in terms of my driving style with the higher speed on mile-and-a-half race tracks. I’ve only been to Texas once though, whereas Vegas I’d been to four or five times before, but I do feel pretty dang good going into the race this weekend.”
What is it about mile-and-a-half tracks that make them your favorite?
“They just come more natural to me. The short tracks have been something I’ve had to work towards just because I don’t think I’m as good as I need to be, yet. Whereas, mile-and-a-half tracks, I feel like I’m further along in my progression. So, for my driving style and kind of track I enjoy, it is more of my bread and butter at the moment.”
Chase Purdy – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado
- Chase Purdy will Pilot Spire Motorsports’ No.77 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado in Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250.
- In four NCTS starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Purdy has earned a 22.3 average start and a 13th-place average finish. He has logged 618 of 620 laps contested over all four races.
- Last season, Purdy started 14th and finished a career-best runner up in the SpeedyCash.com 250.
- Last Friday at Martinsville Speedway, Purdy started 11th and finished with a season-best third-place finish. Purdy jumped from 20th to 16th in the NCTS championship point standings.
- The SpeedyCash.com 250 will mark Purdy’s 82nd career NCTS start and seventh behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No.77 Bama Buggies Chevy Silverado.
- Purdy’s crew chief Jason Trinchere has five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at TMS with Kaulig Racing. In Trinchere’s five starts, he has called three top 10s, including back-to-back sixth-place finishes in 2021 with A.J. Allmendinger.
Chase Purdy Quotes
How do you run well at Texas?
“Honestly, the better you can qualify, the better you are. It’s a very aero dependent track and depending on whether they put any track compound down, it can really make or break your day. I think just making sure you have a good qualifying lap, don’t make any mistakes or beat yourself on pit road. You need to maximize as much as you can on the restart and you should be pretty good.”
How much confidence does last week’s run at Martinsville give you?
“Certainly, running well will give you confidence to run well anywhere, but we’re going to try and take that momentum that we had in Martinsville and bring it into Texas. We’re happy with finishing up front but the job’s still not done. We want to win races and lock ourselves in the playoffs so that’s what we’re focused on. Hopefully, everything goes according to plan.”
What can you take from last year’s great day at Texas and apply it to this one?
“That’s a good track for me, and I think after watching film, there’s already a bunch of things that I would do differently to help us run better and be better, myself. I just think that minimizing mistakes and learning from what I did wrong last year can make all the difference.”
From the Top of the Box
Brian Pattie – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado
- Brian Pattie earned two NCTS victories last year, both with Kyle Busch. The duo started off the 2024 campaign with a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- In addition to his three NCTS triumphs with Busch, he also won with Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen International in 1999.
- Pattie was atop the pit box for six wins across 14 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series and has 11 career victories as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
- In last year’s NCTS race at Texas, Pattie guided Jack Wood to a starting spot on the outside pole and a ninth-place finish.
Chad Walter – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado
- Chad Walter has over two decades of experience and began his career with Hendrick Motorsports in 1996.
- Walter guided Caruth to his first NCTS win March 1, 2024 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- Some of his most notable accomplishments include a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2001 & 2003) with Michael Waltrip, along with Cup Series wins with Steve Park and Terry Labonte.
Jason Trinchere – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado
- Jason Trinchere earned his Bachelor of Science from Penn State University and began his professional career in 2005 as the race engineer for the iconic No. 75 Spears Manufacturing NCTS team, owned by series’ pioneers Wayne and Connie Spears.
- Notable accomplishments include Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 wins with both Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing. He was a key member of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Championship team with driver Joey Logano.
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.
