MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 11, 2025) – Spire Motorsports is “all in” for 2026. In addition to its NASCAR-focused efforts, the Mooresville, N.C.-headquartered organization will campaign a 410 winged sprint car entry full time for the 66-race Kubota High Limit Racing series with standout open-wheel pilot Giovanni “Gio” Scelzi. The team will work closely with Clauson Marshall Racing and chase the division’s 2026 championship.
Celebrated crew chief Eric Prutzman, who won six consecutive national championships with driver Brad Sweet, has joined Spire Motorsports and will lead the team’s efforts during the upcoming season.
Scelzi, 24, is the son of former NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi and the 2023 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year. On the national stage, the Fresno, Calif., native has collected 12 wins, 88 top-five and 232 top-10 finishes.
Prior to the 2026 High Limit season opener, the California racer will compete in the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., in a Spire Motorsports’ Chili’s-sponsored entry prepared by legendary midget car owner Keith Kunz.
“Going on the road with High Limit is like a dream come true and to do this with people I have deep respect and appreciation for makes it even better,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “We’ve worked with and for Kyle (Larson), Brad (Sweet), Kendra (Jacobs) and JP (Josh Peterman) for years and I have an immense amount of gratitude to them for not only building a great series but for making a series that offers long-term growth to all of us in a sport we all love. I’m thankful to Tim Clauson and the Marshalls for providing us a launch pad to make this jump and look forward to working closely this season.
“We are not a NASCAR team that is going dirt racing. We are dirt racers who happen to have a NASCAR team. This is in our blood and we can’t wait to get to Vegas in March.”
Spire Motorsports’ High Limit team will carry a High Roller Club membership card when the season opens with the Blackjack Bash March 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team completed the purchase of High Limit Racing’s “9 Card” from Jason Myers Racing, following the 2025 season finale at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
The High Roller Club, which focuses on creating a sustainable business model for race teams, will distribute up to $18 million in total value over the next four years. Membership cards grant permanent, long-term participation rights designed to drive alignment between Kubota High Limit Racing and its team owners, while guaranteeing annual payouts and providing stability for those in possession.
In 2018, Scelzi became the youngest winner in World of Outlaws history at 16-years-old, claiming victory in the prestigious National Open at Williams Grove (Pa.) Speedway. One year later, he added another milestone to his resume when he became the youngest winner in Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway history with an All-Star Circuit of Champions victory.
He dabbled in pavement racing to further build his resume and won in his first-ever start in a spec late model at Southern California’s Irwindale Speedway. In 2020, he competed in 11 ARCA Menards Series West races where he earned seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes, including a win at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
Over the next two seasons, Scelzi shifted his focus back to his open-wheel roots, racing with both the World of Outlaws and the All Star Circuit of Champions where he combined for seven poles, three wins, 32 top fives and 87 top 10s.
The 2023 season saw him competing full time with the World of Outlaws, where he posted three poles, one win, 18 top-five and 48 top-10 finishes with his impressive freshman campaign earning him Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, he captured four wins, including a Knoxville Nationals preliminary victory, to compliment 23 top fives and 53 top 10s.
“To see the enthusiasm from the employees at Spire Motorsports, that’s really something that made an impact on me,” said Scelzi, who began his racing career at six-years-old, competing in Jr. Micro Sprints in the central California area. “The NASCAR stuff is their job but it’s pretty obvious they enjoy sprint car racing. We’ll likely run 80 to 90 times a year at probably 50 different race tracks, but when you have an owner like Jeff who truly loves sprint car racing and comes from that background, it really makes this an exciting opportunity.
“I’ve known Eric (Prutzman) for a long time. When I was probably 10- or 12-years-old, when Donny Schatz was driving for Tony Stewart Racing, those guys would work out of my dad’s shop during that three-week West Coast swing and Eric was the tire guy at the time, so we became friends and stayed in touch. I’ve watched Eric’s career and he’s had amazing success. The guys who run up front all have really good equipment so, now more than ever, it’s the people. Having someone as accomplished as Eric is just as important as the equipment.”
In 2025, Scelzi parted ways with KCP Racing mid-season following a four-plus year run and finished the year in the No. 7BC for Clauson Marshall Racing as a substitute for the injured Tyler Courtney.
With nearly 400 entries expected for this year’s Chili Bowl, it’s no wonder only a select handful – 24 to be exact – have the opportunity to compete for the storied “Golden Driller” trophy. Scelzi raced his way into the A-Main in 2018, where he started 16th but was sidelined early in the 55-lap feature, and ultimately credited with a 24th-place finish.
He is the youngest winner in Tulsa Shootout history, the precursor to the Chili Bowl Nationals, where he won the 2015 Winged A-Class feature.
“I’m thrilled to race the Chili Bowl, again,” said Scelzi. “I’ve run it three times in the past. I ran for Clauson Marshall Racing my first time and made the show. The two years after that, I was there with Chad Boat Racing. To race a car prepared by Keith Kunz at the Chili Bowl is a dream come true. They’ve won prelim after prelim and Saturday after Saturday. The Chili Bowl is an event where being lucky is just as important as having a fast race car and putting yourself in position to win a race. I’m really looking forward to getting back there. I’m really grateful to Jeff, Keith and the whole team at Chili’s for the opportunity.”
About Chili’s® Grill & Bar …
Hi, welcome to Chili’s! A proud leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), Chili’s was named Ad Age’s 2025 Brand of the Year. Founded in 1975, Chili’s is known for serving Big Mouth Burgers®, Crispy Chicken Crispers®, and sizzling fajitas, while hand-shaking more margaritas than any other restaurant brand in the United States. Chili’s operates 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories with over 70,000 team members. With a purpose to make everyone feel special, Chiliheads take food, drink and service seriously – but not themselves. Chili’s was a proud winner at the 2025 MenuMasters Awards for Best New Menu Item for Nashville Hot Mozz, the breakout addition to the social media-famous Triple Dipper. For more than 20 years, Chili’s has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has raised more than $120 million for the organization through generous guest and team member donations.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Kubota High Limit Racing.
The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, 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 (Fla.) 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 (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.
In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in Kubota High Limit Racing competition.
