IndyCar Staple to Pilot No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST in Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 12, 2026) – Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES winner James Hinchcliffe will make his NASCAR debut Feb. 28 in the inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Hinchcliffe, an Ontario, Canada, native and 2011 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course, the site of his first INDYCAR victory in 2013.
Delaware Life will serve as the team’s primary sponsor for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series inaugural visit to the “Streets of St. Pete.”
“I am super excited to run my first truck race at St. Pete,” said Hinchcliffe. “When they announced the trucks would be running there, I knew I had to try to make something happen because I just love this track and I have always wanted to try something in the NASCAR world. I have been in the Spire family for a long time, so it just made sense to run with them. I can’t thank Dan (Towriss), Jeff (Dickerson), Bill (Anthony) – really everyone at Spire – enough for making this come together.
“It will be a baptism of fire,” Hinchcliffe continued. “Having my first race in a truck being on a street course with no room for error, but these races always look like so much fun, so I am really looking forward to the opportunity. Plus, I love that it’s going to be shown on FOX Sports, with some of my INDYCAR colleagues joining the broadcast, so that should add an extra layer of fun to it.”
Over an 11-year INDYCAR SERIES career that spanned 2011-2021, Hinchliffe collected 18 podium finishes in 161 starts. The first three of six total wins came in 2013 with Andretti Global, a pillar component of TWG Motorsports. Known affectionately as the “Mayor of Hinchtown,” the 39-year-old driver’s charismatic personality contributed to two INDYCAR Fan Favorite Awards (2012 and 2018) and eventually led to a transition to the broadcast booth in 2022.
“James had an amazing open-wheel career with wins and poles across all kinds of formulas, but I’m not even sure he’s ever watched a NASCAR race.” quipped Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “I know it means a little more to (Co-Owner) Dan (Towriss) and I, personally, to be able to do this with him and when he called Dan and wanted to give it a go it seemed right on brand for all of us. This definitely won’t be the first time we’ve been out on a ledge together. We’re all really grateful to Delaware Life for coming along for the ride and giving us a weekend to remember.”
After retiring from the driver’s seat at the conclusion of the 2021 season, Hinchcliffe transitioned to broadcasting, serving as an analyst with NBC Sports from 2022-2024. He currently contributes to Formula One coverage as part of the F1 TV broadcast team and joined FOX Sports as a race analyst for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES beginning in 2025.
Hinchcliffe will pull double duty during race weekend as NASCAR and INDYCAR take on the streets of St. Petersburg, competing behind the wheel in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series before shifting to the FOX broadcast booth to cover the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
The 80-lap Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be televised live on FOX Saturday, Feb. 28, beginning at noon Eastern Daylight Time. The third of 25 races on the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will also be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and 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 High Limit Racing competition.
