Spire Motorsports FireKeepers Casino 400 Race Advance

In 10 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and three top-20 finishes. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Garner Trucking Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, earned a team-best 15th-place finish in 2023 at the two-mile oval. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 from Michigan International Speedway will be televised live on USA, Sunday, Aug. 18th, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 24th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on USA will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.

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

Corey LaJoie will pilot the No. 7 Garner Trucking Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
In 10 previous starts in the Irish Hills, the 32-year-old has recorded one top-15, two top-20 and six top-25 finishes. In the rain-delayed 2023 event, LaJoie started 31st and earned a venue-best 15th-place finish.
Garner Trucking is a family-owned and -operated business started in 1960 by Vern and Jean Garner. In 2012, daughter Sherri Garner Brumbaugh became President/CEO/Owner. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, Garner is a woman-owned dry-van truckload, retail and distribution for-hire motor carrier. Garner is known for its excellent safety record and on-time delivery performance. Since 2017, Garner Trucking has been named a Best Fleet to Drive For trucking company in North America, recognized in 2022 as the overall Best Fleet for small carriers becoming Hall of Fame status in 2023 and 2024.
The Ohio-based trucking company will be featured on the hood of the No. 7 Camaro for the fifth time and for the second of two appearances in 2024. In four previous starts in the black and red Garner colors, the third-generation racer has logged four top-20 finishes and completed all 1,098 laps.
Last time out, LaJoie started 24th and finished 34th at Richmond Raceway.
The 32-year-old’s best finish on a two-mile oval came in the series’ last stop at the Auto Club Speedway in 2023. LaJoie qualified 12th and brought home a 14th-place finish on that February afternoon.
Over 259 NCS starts, the father of three has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
You brought home a solid finish in last season’s trip to Michigan. How do you look to build on that this time around?
“Last year we finished 15th, and had some speed in our No. 7 Chevy. I’ve had a lot of solid runs there in the past, so I’m looking forward to getting out there. Thanks to Sherri (Garner) and everyone at Garner Trucking for hopping on board this weekend. Hopefully we can bring home a good finish for them.”

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

Zane Smith will make his first NASCAR Cup Series appearance at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports.
Last week at Richmond Raceway, the California native rolled off 20th and crossed the line in the 23rd position.
The 25-year-old scored his first NASCAR national series victory in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition at MIS in 2020. After rolling off seventh, he made a last-lap pass on Christian Eckes to take the checkered flag in his GMS Racing Silverado. Smith has also made two ARCA Menards Series starts at the two-mile D-shaped oval.
Over the last five races, the California native has scored the 20th-most points of all Cup Series drivers.
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Crew chief Stephen Doran is no stranger to Victory lane at MIS. During his tenure as an engineer for Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing, Doran racked up five wins and 11 top-five finishes.
Join Smith for a Q&A at the NASCAR Experience Stage in the midway on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. local time.

Zane Smith Quotes
Michigan is the site of your first NASCAR national series victory. How special is the venue to you and your career?
“It’s going to be awesome to get back to Michigan this weekend. I haven’t been back there since my first Truck Series win in 2020. That track is a special place to me, and it holds a lot of great memories that I will always remember. I’m really excited to race there in the Cup car and see what my No. 71 Focused Health Spire Motorsports team can accomplish. Looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

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

Carson Hocevar will make his first Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. The effort will be backed by two Michigan-based companies, Premier Security and Zeigler Auto Group, in a co-primary role.
Last week at Richmond Raceway, Hocevar rolled off the grid 19th and brought the No. 77 Camaro home in eighth, matching his NCS career-best finish. The finish marked his third top 10 of the year.
In his first and only race behind the wheel at MIS, Hocevar started seventh in the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series event. The Portage, Mich. native was involved in a Lap-12 incident while positioned within the top 10. His No. 77 Premiere Security Chevrolet would suffer extensive damage, but he continued to battle throughout the day, ultimately finishing 32nd.
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Over the last 10 races, Hocevar has compiled an average finish of 15.4, a six-position improvement from the opening 13 races on the year (21.6).
The youngest NCS driver in the field ranks 22nd in the division’s championship point standings. Over the course of the season’s first 23 races, Hocevar has notched three top-10 and seven top-15 finishes.
Hocevar made his name in Super Late Model competition at nearby Berlin Raceway. He is a two-time winner of the Money in the Bank 150, taking the crown in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. Earlier this month, he scored his first victory in the Tekton 250 Battle at Berlin, holding off Erik Jones and Late Model stand out Bubba Pollard. In 2018, he started on the pole and finished fourth in his lone ARCA Menards Series start at the 0.4375-mile oval.
Crew chief Luke Lambert was atop the box for four top-10 finishes at Michigan during his time at Richard Childress Racing, highlighted by a fourth-place finish with Ryan Newman in Aug. of 2017. He also chiefed Noah Gragson to a third-place finish after starting on the pole in the 2022 Xfinity Series event.
Zeigler and LoJack will be hosting a meet and greet with Hocevar on Friday, Aug. 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. at Zeigler Motorsports, located at 5001 Park Circle Drive, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Fans can receive a Carson Hocevar autograph at the NASCAR Classics merchandise trailer on Saturday from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
Sunday Turn 4 Club ticket holders will have an opportunity to meet Hocevar from 11 to 11:15 a.m.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
Sunday will mark your first NCS race at your hometown track. What are your expectations and what are you looking to accomplish?
“Michigan is a place that has been calling my name for a while. I love the thrill of racing there. Last year, I only got a few competitive laps in the Xfinity race before a wreck, but I have been having a blast in the simulator getting ready for this weekend. We’ve put a ton of effort into this race, especially with setup. Hailing from Michigan, and with Ziegler Auto Group and Premier Security involved, there’s a lot of hometown pride. We know anyone can win on the right day, so we’re giving it our all. Our cars are strong, and if we can get the perfect setup and opportunity, nothing can hold us back.”
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 is in his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team.
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 campaigns 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 also fields 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 drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados 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 checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.