Spire Motorsports USA Today 301 Race Advance

  • In eight NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-25 finish. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro earned a team-best 23rd-place finish in the July 18, 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
  • The USA Today 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, June 23, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 18th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Pre-race coverage on USA will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Corey LaJoie heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) behind the wheel of the No. 7 Schluter Systems Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
  • LaJoie is a former winner at NHMS. In seven ARCA Menards Series East (formerly K&N Pro Series East) starts at NHMS, the Concord, N.C., native has led 68 laps, recorded one win, three top-three and five top-10 finishes.
  • Sunday’s USA Today 301 will mark LaJoie’s 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at NHMS. In nine previous NCS “Magic Mile” starts, LaJoie recorded a series/venue-best 23rd-place finish in July 2019 and July 2021.
  • LaJoie is a third-generation racer whose father and grandfather are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame. His father, Randy LaJoie, is a two-time (1996 & 1997) NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Champion and the winner of the July 12, 1996 Stanley Tools 200 NXS race at NHMS.
  • Schluter Systems provides innovative, easy to use installation systems to support the durability, integrity and design of tile installations. With over 8,000 products within its growing portfolio, Schluter Systems is continuously improving the landscape of the tile industry. Their educational workshops and intuitive approach to product design supports Schluter’s position as an industry leader in quality and service. Schluter Systems services North America with multiple Training, Distribution and Manufacturing facilities in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Montreal, Quebec, Reno, Nev., and Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit www.schluter.com.
  • LaJoie started 24th and finished 21st in last weekend’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway and picked up one position in the NCS championship point standings. The Concord, N.C., native has led 38 laps in 2024 and is currently 29th in points.
  • Over 253 career NCS starts, LaJoie has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
Given your families history in the northeast, and some past success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, this has to be a weekend you’ve been looking forward to.
“Loudon is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s pretty much a home race for my family since my grandfather and dad have Northeastern roots. I’ve had success there in the past and generally run well so we’re working hard this week to bring the right setup to the Magic Mile. We’ve have had a couple solid weeks so we’ll keep that ball rolling all the way into the break in the next couple weeks.”

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Zane Smith will make his first career start at NHMS driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports.
  • The “Magic Mile” is a new track to the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, but Smith has a solid history on one-mile ovals. Throughout his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) career, Smith has claimed wins at Dover Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, where he clinched the 2022 NCTS Championship.
  • Sunday will mark Smith’s 18th NCS start for Spire Motorsports and his 26th career start.
  • Focused Health will serve as the primary sponsor for Smith’s No. 71. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
  • 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.
  • Race fans car order Focused Health No. 71 Zane Smith merchandise at zanesmithracing.com.

Zane Smith Quotes
This weekend will be the first time you’ll race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. How do you feel going into this weekend?
“New Hampshire is one I’ve had circled on the calendar for a while. It’s crazy I’ve never raced there. I always wanted to, but never had the opportunity until now. Timing and other opportunities – it just never aligned. It’s a beautiful racetrack and the fans are awesome. I know my 71 Spire Motorsports team will bring a fast Focused Health Chevy and I’m excited to see how I stack up.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Carson Hocevar will make his first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Sunday’s USA Today 301 behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
  • Hocevar started 20th and finished 14th in last Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. The solid effort marked his fifth top-15 finish of the season.
  • Delaware Life Insurance Company (“Delaware Life”) has made its mission to deliver pure value to its network of financial professionals with a set of tools and products that help them empower their clients to plan for retirement with confidence. Delaware Life’s focus is delivering a seamless experience that gives clients exactly what they’re looking for: the comfort of understanding, the confidence of transparency, and streamlined products without needless features. Learn more at www.delawarelife.com.
  • This week, Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet will feature the names of 60 LPL Financial employees who attended Delaware Life’s Due Diligence event in St. Petersburg, Fla. With this week’s race being held near Delaware Life’s Massachusetts headquarters, just 80 miles from New Hampshire Speedway, Delaware Life is recognizing the group as key members of the Delaware Life network.
  • Northeast Planning Associates, Inc. (NPA), will also have its logo featured on the No. 77 decklid at the NHMS. NPA is a registered investment adviser and financial planning firm encompassing more than 75 financial advisors in 45-plus offices across New England.
  • The youngest NCS driver in the field is currently 23rd in the division’s championship points. Over the course of the season’s first 17 races, Hocevar has notched two top-10s and five top-15 finishes.
  • Hocevar’s Crew chief Luke Lambert has found success at the “Magic Mile,” calling the shots for Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s inaugural Whelan All-Star Shootout in 2014. Newman piloted the Tommy Baldwin Racing 7NY to a victory in the 37-lap event, besting modified standouts Justin Bonsignore, Mike Stefanik, Ron Silk and Ryan Preece.
  • The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender is featured on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET following each race to discuss his NCS rookie season.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You mentioned feeling good about New Hampshire despite it being a new track for you. Can you elaborate on what specifically makes you feel confident heading into this weekend?
“Last year was full of new tracks when I raced nine cup races, and it’s been nice to go back to some tracks this year, but yeah, Loudon is completely new to me. We’ve spent extra time in the SIM and I honestly feel like learning a new car is a lot more difficult than learning a new track, so I feel good about Loudon this week.”

Luke Lambert Quotes
Luke, you’re familiar with New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This is Carson’s first time on this track, but you two have raced together 17 times in the past two seasons. Given that experience, how do you feel about your chances at this weekend?
“Carson is going to do a great job at Loudon this week. Loudon is an interesting racetrack. It’s critical that you have good entry speed, which is one of Carson’s biggest strengths in this car. Getting into the corner at Loudon is difficult because the car is normally pretty loose. That’s going to be our biggest challenge – making sure that we have the stability that we need on entry and rotate to the center.”

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 fourth-place finish 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 April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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