- In seven NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has earned two top fives and two top 10s. Sammy Smith earned a fourth-place result in the 2025 event at the controls of the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet.
- The Black’s Tire 250 presented by BTS Rewards will be televised live on FS1 Friday, August 14 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 17th of 25 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Shane van Gisbergen – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST
- Shane van Gisbergen will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s Black’s Tire 250 presented by BTS Rewards at Richmond Raceway.
- HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
- Van Gisbergen will pull double duty this weekend and also race the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series’ race at the famed 0.75-mile oval.
- Friday’s 250-lap event will mark van Gisbergen’s fifth career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and fourth of the 2026 season. In addition to his two starts for Spire Motorsports at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, “SVG” competed for Niece Motorsports at Watkins Glen (N.Y) International earlier this season, where he registered a career-best third-place finish before backing it up with another third-place result in his most recent start at North Wilkesboro. In just four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, the 37-year-old owns two top fives and two top 10s and heads to Richmond with a solid 10.0 average finish.
- The three-time Australian Supercars champion has made a single O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Richmond Raceway, where he finished 15th. In Cup Series competition, van Gisbergen owns a single start where he started 27th and finished 14th in Trackhouse Racing’s No. 88 Chevrolet and was scored as the race’s highest finishing rookie.
- In 23 NASCAR Cup Series starts this season, van Gisbergen has logged two poles, two wins, five top-five and seven top 10 finishes. He’s led 233 laps on NASCAR’s senior circuit and currently sits 15th in the 2026 championship point standings.
- Van Gisbergen will be at the controls of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-094 Friday night. This is the same truck Carson Hocevar qualified on the outside pole last month at North Wilkesboro before being saddled with a disappointing 27th-place finish.
Shane van Gisbergen Quote
What are your expectations heading into your first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Richmond?
“I’m stoked to get another shot in the Truck Series this weekend at Richmond with Spire Motorsports. It’s a track that I raced for the first time last year in the Cup Series, so to have the opportunity to get more track time and learn how the track races will be huge. Thanks to Spire and Chevrolet for this opportunity. Spire always brings fast trucks to the track, so I know I’ll have a go at a great result.”
Brian Pattie – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST
- Brian Pattie is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST, an entry that will see a selection of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
- Pattie has called three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Richmond, highlighted by a pair of fifth-place finishes with Matt Mills (2023) and Sammy Smith (2025).
- The 51-year-old was atop the box for Clint Bowyer’s Richmond NASCAR Cup Series triumph in 2012. Bowyer started fourth and led 88 laps en route to the duo’s second of three wins that year.
- Through 16 races, the No. 7 team sits fourth in the division’s owner’s points standings on the strength of two wins, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
Tristan McKee – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST
- Tristan McKee will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Workforce Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Black’s Tire 250 Presented by BTS Rewards at Richmond Raceway.
- Workforce is an Occupational Health and Safety Solutions firm based in Pittsburgh with partners throughout North America. For over thirty years, Workforce has provided support to clients through the operation of its three divisions – Work Injury Management, Medical Bill Repricing, and Employer Services. The Work Injury Management Division connects employees to telephonic physician services with expedited access to a nationwide network of medical providers, including specialty, imaging, and therapy services – and employer access to recordable injury investigation, injury impact mitigation services, preferred medical provider panel development, and more. The Medical Bill Repricing Division provides cost containment services by minimizing incident, experience, and injury frequency rates while reducing exposure to insurance premium increases. The Employer Services Division provides employee onboarding services, corporate safety committee oversight, required annual certification coordination, and integration of any required testing, licensing, or accreditation. Since 1995, Workforce remains focused on developing partnerships with employers that facilitate a positive impact on any health and safety issues encountered at the workplace.
- Just 11 days removed from his 16th birthday, McKee will make his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut, becoming the youngest current driver to compete across NASCAR’s three national touring series.
- The Spire Motorsports Ascent Program developmental driver turned heads in 2025, becoming the youngest champion in CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series history. McKee logged four wins en route to the championship for Scott Lagasse Racing.
- The Kannapolis, N.C., resident competes full time in the ARCA Menards Series East, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group. McKee currently leads the driver points standings on the strength of four wins, six top-five and six top-10 finishes.
- Just five days after turning 15-years-old, the road course ace made his ARCA Menards Series debut for Spire Motorsports at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, starting fourth before taking the lead on the final restart, to become the second-youngest driver to win in series history.
- McKee’s five-race CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will continue next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Aug. 22), followed by races at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Sept. 17), Phoenix Raceway (Oct. 16) and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 30).
- McKee will be at the controls of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-096 Friday night. This is the same Chevy Silverado Chase Elliott raced to a sixth-place finish in the FaithFest 250 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway.
- Tristan McKee Quote
- You’ve worked your entire life for an opportunity like this. What does it mean to finally see your hard work pay off heading into your CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut for Spire Motorsports?
- “I’m really looking forward to the race this Friday. Everyone at Spire has done a great job of preparing me as well as Josh Wise and everyone at Chevrolet. We were able to test at Richmond on my birthday which went really well so I am feeling comfortable and ready to go for the race!”
Chad Walter – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST
- Chad Walter is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, an entry that will see multiple all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
- Walter has called five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Richmond Raceway. The veteran crew chief owns a pair for top-five finishes with Tyler Ankrum (2020) and Corey LaJoie (2025).
- During his time as a shop engineer at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Walter was part of Dale Eanhardt, Jr.’s 2000 triumph at Richmond. Earnhardt, Jr., led 31 laps to earn his second career Cup Series victory.
- The 55-year-old led the No. 77 team to their most recent victory in May in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway with Carson Hocevar.
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’ 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.
