Spire Motorsports Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance

• In 15 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has one top-10 and three top-20 finishes, with a best result of seventh earned by Michael McDowell in May 2025. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Daniel Suárez, McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Coca-Cola 600 will be televised live on Prime Sunday, May 24 beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 13th of 36 points-paying races on the Cup Series schedule will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Freeway Insurance will showcase a special patriotic Memorial Day-themed livery featuring red, white, and blue branding elements to honor the holiday and recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. military members.
• Suárez and the No. 7 team will honor Sergeant Martin Anthony Lugo Jr. (April 22, 1986 – August 19, 2010). The Tucson, Ariz., native served in the United States Army as a Squad Leader with Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment during Operation Enduring Freedom. A highly-decorated Ranger who completed six combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Sgt. Lugo was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry after saving the lives of five fellow soldiers under heavy enemy fire. His honors also include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, and numerous additional awards recognizing his courage, leadership, and dedication to his fellow soldiers and his country.
• The Monterrey, Mexico native has made 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte, earning one top-10 and five top-20 finishes while leading 36 laps at the 1.5-mile quad-oval. He holds an average starting position of 18.1 and an average finish of 20.8, with his best result at “America’s Home for Racing” coming in 2017 when he finished sixth. In the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, he led 36 laps and won a stage before being involved in an incident.
• Freeway Insurance was established in 1987, Freeway Insurance is one of the largest and fastest-growing personal lines insurance brokers in the United States, offering coverage through a “click, call, or come in” approach that connects customers nationwide. The company continually researches, grows, and diversifies its product offerings to stay responsive to the evolving insurance market. Freeway provides a wide range of options—from basic to premium coverage—in auto, truck, commercial vehicle, homeowners, renters, small business, motorcycle, recreational vehicle, fire, and flood insurance. In 2008, Freeway Insurance became part of Confie, the nation’s leading personal lines insurance distribution company. Customers can access Freeway Insurance through neighborhood offices, online at www.freeway.com, or by calling (800) 300-0227.
• The 34-year-old racer is a veteran of 335 Cup Series starts and has notched two wins, 25 top fives and 78 top-10s in NASCAR’s premier division. Suarez has led 908 laps and earned three poles since 2017.
• After 12 races, Suárez sits 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings. The two-time Cup Series race winner has one top five, three top 10s and is averaging a 15.0 finish – five positions better than this time last season.
• Out of Suárez’s 335 Cup Series starts, 161 have come on intermediate tracks. Over those races, he earned one win at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2024), 11 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes while leading 388 laps. This season, at venues generally considered intermediate-style tracks, Suárez finished fifth at Atlanta, 30th at Phoenix Raceway, 18th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, seventh at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway.

Daniel Suárez Quote
What does the Coca-Cola 600 mean to you?
“When it comes to traditions, my favorite is the Coca-Cola 600. It’s more than just a race because it happens on Memorial Day weekend, honoring the sacrifice of the men and women who served our country. The moment of silence in the middle of the race and hearing the crowd afterward gives me chills every time. This race is really exciting, fun, and something I truly enjoy. The Coca-Cola 600 is more than just a race to me — it’s a test of focus, endurance, and mentality. Fans see the speed and excitement, but they don’t always see the pressure that comes with competing for 600 miles under the lights. Racing is just as mental as it is physical, and every decision matters. Once my helmet goes on, fear disappears. It becomes all about staying locked.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

• Ryan Sparks has called 214 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut atop the pit box in 2020.
• In total, Sparks has called seven races at Charlotte since 2020, with his best result coming in 2023 when he finished 17th. Across 102 starts on intermediate-style tracks, he has recorded two top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes.
• Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez.
• Sparks brings more than a decade of experience across all three national series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013).

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Modo Casino Chevrolet ZL1 in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The No. 71 Chevrolet will carry a homegrown Modo Casino Chevrolet livery as the All-American online social gaming platform honors and remembers those who have served during Memorial Day weekend.
• As part of the 600 Miles of Remembrance, McDowell will carry the name of Corporal Eddie Wade Forrest II, a proud second-generation U.S. Marine, who served his country with honor during two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. Over his four years of service, Corporal Forrest II exemplified dedication, courage, and an unwavering commitment to those beside him. He was deeply proud of his country and his family name. He was a devoted son, husband to his wife, Megan, and a loving father to their son, Bodhi.
• Last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, the Glendale, Ariz., native raced his way into the All-Star Race 200-lap feature with a finish of 12th and eighth in the first two segments of Sunday’s event, to mark his first All-Star nod as a Spire Motorsports driver.
• In 26 attempts at the 1.5-mile track, the second-year Spire Motorsports driver has a pair of top-10 finishes and 13 laps led, earning a venue-best finish of seventh after 600 miles in 2025.
• In four O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Charlotte, McDowell claimed two top-20 finishes at the 1.5-mile track in NASCAR’s backyard.
• Through the first 12 points-paying races of his 2026 campaign, McDowell owns two top-five and three top-10 finishes, in addition to last weekend’s eighth-place result at the “Monster Mile”.
• In his last two races at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Dover Motor Speedway, the two-time Cup Series winner has earned career/venue-best finishes at each track resulting in an average finish of fifth.
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Michael McDowell Quote
With four stages this weekend, there is an opportunity for some extra stage points. How do you look at Charlotte when it comes to points?
“With four stages this weekend you look at the extra stage points for sure. You have to have the speed to do that and run up front. So I think qualifying well, being up front, and getting stage points is a really important thing for us, especially coming off of a rough stretch last month. We had some good speed during the (Coca-Cola) 600 last year and made a top-10 day out of it. I am hoping we can unload well and pick up some stage points in all three stages, but more than anything it is important to have a shot at it at the end. Stage points are important every weekend. It’s not just Charlotte, but if we can pick up some extra points this weekend with one more stage this weekend, it can be the difference to making “The Chase” this year.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• Crew chief Travis Peterson will return to the No. 71 team after the Peterson family welcomed their second daughter, Sophie, last Friday.
• The pairing of McDowell and Peterson collected a top-10 finish with a result of seventh, their best finish on an oval, during last season during the Coca-Cola 600.
• As a race engineer at JR Motorsports, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte graduate helped Chase Elliott to a top 10 in the 2014 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event. Elliott started from the pole position and led 66 laps on the day.

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

• Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chili’s Ride the ‘DenteTM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his third start on the 1.5-mile Concord oval in NASCAR’s premier division.
• It’s time to Ride the ‘DenteTM … Again’te! The black, white and red Chili’s® Grill & Bar design returns this weekend, a livery featuring pepper vines crawling across the top and sides, a homage to Chili’s founder Larry Lavine and the fashion sense he displayed in the early days of the 50-year-old restaurant brand.
• Special Operations Command Chief Petty Officer Mark Cardillo will ride along with Hocevar Sunday night. SOC CPO Cardillo was a 1993 graduate from Hudson High School in Hudson, Mass., where he was a member of the football team. Shortly after high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy as a Seabee, serving overseas. Two years into his Seabee enlistment, SOC CPO Cardillo set his sights on becoming a Navy Seal. As a Seal, he was deployed multiple times to the Persian Gulf where SOC CPO Cardillo received 3 Bronze Stars with Valor and a multitude of other medals for his selfless acts during combat. SOC CPO Cardillo battled Leukemia in 2010 and again in 2013, finally beating it. He maintained a high level of combat readiness and continued his full duties as a Navy Seal before officially retiring in October 2019.
• Through 12 races, Hocevar sits seventh in points, 30 markers out of sixth. His one win, three top fives, five top 10s, 342 points scored, average starting position of 10.2 and 14.6 average finish are all career highs through the first 12 points-paying races of the 2026 season. The team’s average starting position is a staggering 12 positions better than last season, and its average finishing position has improved by nearly seven spots compared to this point in 2025.
• The 2024 Cup Series Rookie of the Year notched a venue-best 21st-place finish at Charlotte in 2024, his first of two starts at the venue in NASCAR’s premier division.
• In last season’s Coca-Cola 600, Hocevar was knocking on the door of his first Cup Series victory before an engine failure sent the No. 77 Chevy to the garage in the Final Stage. He lined up on the front row for a Lap-307 restart and battled for the lead entering Turn 1 before quickly dropping through the field. The team was ultimately credited with a 34th-place finish.
• During the series’ most recent trip to a 1.5-mile oval, Hocevar registered his fifth top-10 result of the 2026 campaign with a seventh-place finish at Texas while racking up 41 points on the day, the fourth-most accumulated in the field. He earned the pole position for the second time in his career, and first since last season’s trip to Texas, with a lap time of 28.222 seconds (191.340 mph).
• In three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at “America’s Home for Racing”, Hocevar owns two top fives and two top 10s, including a venue-best runner-up finish in 2021, while pacing the field for 105 laps.
• Hocevar registered his first-career NASCAR Cup Series victory last month at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He survived a late-race restart with three laps remaining with help from his Chevrolet teammates and took the checkered flag aboard the Chili’s Chevrolet. The newly minted Cup Series race winner became the 13th driver to earn their inaugural series victory at Talladega, and registered Spire Motorsports’ first win since the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with driver Justin Haley.
• In last Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover, the Portage, Mich., native recovered from suspension damage stemming from a right-front tire issue to compete within the top five in the third and final segment. An untimely caution just laps following the No. 77 team’s green-flag pit stop trapped the crew two laps down. They were ultimately credited with a 14th-place finish.
• Tecovas, the iconic American western-wear brand founded in 2015, will saddle up and make its debut as an associate sponsor aboard Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet this weekend. The two-race associate program will culminate June 21 during the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race through the streets of San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado.
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Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’ve shown speed on the 1.5-mile tracks and were knocking on the door in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. What are your thoughts heading into the weekend?
“Our team has been looking forward to this one. Last year we had to start in the back, but worked forward pretty quickly. When we lined up on the front row I was ready to go for it and race it out, but a mechanical issue ended our night right after we took the green. I am just excited to have another shot at it. We have been really fast on the mile-and-a-halves, especially when you look at what we did at Texas a couple weeks back – winning the pole and running up front all day. I think we are in for a really good weekend.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Crew chief Luke Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with driver Carson Hocevar. The duo has logged one win, two pole awards, six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in 92 races together.
• The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 18 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, notching one top five and six top 10s highlighted by Ryan Newman’s fourth-place result in October 2016.
• During his time as a race engineer at Richard Childress Racing, Lambert helped Jeff Burton to victory in the 2008 Cup Series event at the venue then known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Burton made the race-winning move on leader Greg Biffle with 57 laps remaining and fended off late-race challenges from Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne to secure his 21st and final Cup Series victory.
• The Mount Airy, N.C., native has been atop the war wagon for three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Charlotte, earning three top fives and logging a venue-best third-place finish in October 2012 with driver Elliott Sadler.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries 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 July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 15, 2026, when Kyle Busch won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ ECOSAVE 200 at Dover Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns 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 also fields the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.