Spire Motorsports FireKeepers Casino 400 Race Advance

• In 16 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Spire Motorsports has two top-10 finishes with a best result of seventh earned by Zane Smith in 2024. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be televised live on Prime Sunday, June 7 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 15th of 36 points-paying races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule will also be broadcast live on the Motor 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 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400.
• Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico has made 13 Cup Series starts at MIS, earning two top-five and four top-10 finishes while leading 56 laps at the two-mile D-shaped oval. He holds an average starting position of 21.9 and an average finish of 18.2, with his best result coming in 2019 when he finished fourth. Last season, he ran as high as ninth and came home 14th.
• After 14 races, the 34-year-old driver currently sits 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 378 points.
• Last week at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Suárez started third, collected a Stage 2-win but slipped in the running order in the late goings, to bring home to a 19th-place finish.
• Suárez secured his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory in 2016 at MIS, edging out Kyle Busch in the closing laps to become the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race.
• The three-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, is a veteran of 337 Cup Series starts and has notched three wins, 26 top fives and 79 top-10s in NASCAR’s premier division. Suarez has led 935 laps and earned three poles since 2017.
• Out of Suárez’s 337 Cup Series starts, 76 have come on tracks measuring two miles or longer. In those races, he’s delivered seven top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, while leading 190 laps. This season, his performance on those speedways includes a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a 12th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway.
• NationsGuard is an innovator in the Automotive F&I space. Its programs are designed to maximize sales, profit, CSI and customer retention. NationsGuard delivers consistent, measurable results through disciplined monitoring and continuous improvement. The process measures every key element of a dealer’s program – from vehicle inspection efficiency to service advisor performance. NationsGuard targets and eliminates waste and inefficiency wherever it’s found, maintaining process improvements, making changes where necessary and relentlessly pursuing perfection.

Daniel Suárez Quote
What do you enjoy most about racing at Michigan and how do you prepare for it each year?
“I have lots of good memories at Michigan. I enjoy the track and how fast it is, how wide it is, and how many different lines you can run. It really lets you be aggressive, but you also have to be smart with tire management and track position. This place has been good to me in the past, and it’s definitely one I look forward to every time we come back. The fans are incredible, the atmosphere is electric and the racing is always exciting. When everything clicks – the car, the strategy, and the team – you can really make a statement. I’m always looking to build on those past experiences and push for another strong performance this weekend.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

• Ryan Sparks is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Sparks has called 216 NASCAR Cup Series races since making his crew chief debut in 2020 and has recorded one victory, six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Sparks earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at this year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has called seven races at Michigan since 2020, with his best result coming in 2023 when he finished 15th.
• 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. He brings more than a decade of experience across all three of NASCAR’s national series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the 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 Garner Trucking Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Firekeepers Casino 400.
• Garner Trucking provides Spire Motorsports with the semi tractors the team utilizes to transport its equipment to NASCAR races across the country and has been named a Best Fleets to Drive For ® carrier for 10-straight years – a national recognition voted on by the company’s professional drivers. The family-owned and -operated business was started in 1960 by Vern and Jean Garner. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, Garner Trucking is highly regarded in the industry for its excellent safety record and on-time delivery performance. Garner is now owned and operated by second generation daughter Sherri Garner Brumbaugh.
• Garner Trucking, the Official Transportation Partner of Spire Motorsports, returns as the primary sponsor aboard McDowell’s No. 71 Chevy for the second of two consecutive races and includes associate branding from Alvys and 419 Black Swamp Bucks.
• McDowell has made 19 starts in NASCAR’s premier division at MIS and claimed a series/venue-best 19th-place finish in NASCAR’s 2024 visit to Michigan’s Irish Hills.
• Across his last four races, including the 2026 NASCAR All-Star Race, the Glendale, Ariz., native holds an average finish of 9.75, including pacing the field two times for eight laps (Watkins Glen/Charlotte).
• The father-of-five has logged a 27.0 average start and a 29.5 average finish at the famed two-mile Brooklyn, Mich., oval.
• In addition to his time on NASCAR’s premier circuit, McDowell has three starts at MIS in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, earning a best result of seventh in 2012.
• Spire Motorsports Director of Competition Matt McCall, who subbed for crew chief Travis Peterson at Dover Motor Speedway, has his own set of bragging rights at MIS. The former crew chief led his drivers to a 9.9 average finish including five top-five and 12 top-10 showings across 16 races, most recently earning back-to-back top-five performances with driver Brad Keselowski.
• Last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, the two-time Cup Series race winner started 14th and brought his Garner Trucking Chevrolet Camaro home 15th.
• Through the first 14 points paying races of the 2026 sesaon, McDowell owns an average starting position of 16.4, including four top 10 qualifying efforts.
• Michael McDowell Quote
• What do you look for in your race car at Michigan?
• “Michigan is always a track I look forward to. It’s one of those places where you really get a sense for where everyone stacks up from a performance standpoint. With the speed we’ve had over the last month at Spire Motorsports, especially on the intermediate and larger tracks, I’m excited about what we can do this weekend. The horsepower from the Hendrick engine shop has been a huge help for us this year, and Michigan is a place where that can really make a difference. It’s a fast track with plenty of downforce and being efficient aerodynamically while maximizing horsepower is going to be key all weekend. It feels like there is nowhere to hide, and everything gets amplified. Since Watkins Glen, we have started to get back on the right track. I think we could have two more top-10 finishes. We have the speed and momentum is building for our No. 71 group. So, a good clean race in Michigan with Garner Trucking will be great for us heading into this next four-race stretch.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• Travis Peterson is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Peterson has called three NASCAR Cup Series races at MIS for McDowell where the potent duo has recorded a 24.3 average finish.
• During his time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the Wis., native worked as an engineer for Regan Smith and the No. 7 entry at JR Motorsports. In 2013, Smith qualified 20th and led 14 laps at the Brooklyn, Mich., oval where the No. 7 Chevrolet took home the checkered flag, earning the team’s second win of the season.
• The 35-year-old has called 127 races in NASCAR’s premier series, earning eight poles, one win, nine top-five and 26 top-10 finishes.

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

• Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400, his third start at the two-mile oval in NASCAR’s premier division.
• Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 88 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and majority of the imported manufacturers. Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company. The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
• Last season, Hocevar started 14th, led 32 laps and was pacing the field with 19 laps remaining when he cut a left-rear tire, ultimately leaving him 29th in the final rundown.
• Through 14 races, the Portage, Mich., native sits ninth in points, just 10 markers out of eighth. His one win, three top fives, six top 10s, 356 points scored, average starting position of 11.6 and 14.9 average finish are all career highs through the first 14 points-paying races of the 2026 season. The team’s average starting position has improved by nearly eight spots while its average finish is nearly seven positions better compared to this point in 2025.
• Last Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway, Hocevar battled handling issues with his Chili’s Chevy throughout the race but persevered to secure a 10th-place finish, his sixth top 10 of the year.
• The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year registered his first-career victory earlier this season 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. Hocevar became the 13th driver to earn his 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.
• Aside from his NASCAR Cup Series duties, Hocevar will also pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet Silverado RST in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics.
• The six-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner made his first series start at Michigan one year ago. Despite leading 56 laps, contact initiated by a fellow competitor left Hocevar with a flat left-rear tire. He ultimately took the checkered flag 11th.
• Hocevar and Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Longhorn team will kick off a busy week of racing Wednesday evening at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway, where he will participate in the 32nd annual Dirt Late Model Dream.
• The young driver, who grew up racing pavement late models, will make his third appearance in “The Dream”, one of the most prestigious and lucrative dirt track racing events in the world. After making his dirt late model debut in the rescheduled 2022 event, he returned in 2023 to collect a sixth-place finish in his preliminary race. The result marks his best finish in 11 dirt late model starts.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
What do you remember about taking the lead late in the race last year, and how do you use that as motivation for this weekend?
“I remember that moment last year really well. I got to (Kyle) Larson’s right rear, and I knew he lost a lot of momentum from it so I shot out to the lead. I always have tunnel vision while racing. The sky could turn purple and I’d have no idea. But for some reason, I actually looked in the stands when I was coming off of Turn 4. It is a really long straightaway, and I remember seeing so many of them jumping up and cheering. It’s definitely one of the coolest racing memories I have – one I will cherish for a long time.

“Michigan is somewhere I am really comfortable and we have shown we have the speed to compete up front. Hopefully I can give all the Michigan fans something to cheer for on Sunday.”

Zeigler returns to the No. 77 this week for their first points race of the year. What does it mean to have a Michigan-based company on your car for your home race?
“Harold, Aaron and the whole Zeigler family have been really great to me. The Zeigler headquarters is actually just a few miles down the road from where I grew up in Kalamazoo and remember passing it all the time when I was a kid. When you represent the Zeigler family and Zeigler Auto Group, you feel like you are representing the Kalamazoo and Portage areas. Could be a really special day if we can get it done.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with driver Carson Hocevar. The duo has secured two poles, one win, six top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in 94 races together.
• The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 20 NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, registering one top five and four top 10s highlighted by a fourth-place finish with driver Ryan Newman in Aug. 2017.

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 24, 2026, when Daniel Suárez won the NASCAR Cup Series Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) 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.