Spire Motorsports Richmond NASCAR Cup Series Race Advance

• In 24 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, Spire Motorsports has one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. Carson Hocevar earned the team’s best result at Richmond in August 2024 with an eighth-place finish. Spire Motorsports fields the No. 7, 71 and 77 for Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.
• The 400-lap race on the 0.75-mile short track will be televised live on USA Saturday, August 15 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 24th of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar 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 UHP.com Ignite America/Walmart Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.
• UHP (Unlock Human Potential) is a veteran-focused education and leadership development organization based on an 800-acre campus in Northwest Arkansas. Through immersive, high-impact programs, UHP develops service members and veterans into leaders equipped with the skills, mindset, and purpose to thrive in their next chapter. UHP’s approach is built on four core pillars: Think. Train. Feel. Lead. UHP integrates human performance, leadership development, and real-world skill building to prepare individuals for meaningful, long-term careers. Learn more at UHP.com.
• The UHP Skilled Trades Institute exists to close the gap with the most disciplined workforce in the country. On UHP’s 800-acre Northwest Arkansas campus, veterans train in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and welding through accelerated, NCCER-based programs that combine technical skill with human performance and leadership development. It all leads directly to employers who are hiring. Veterans arrive with their skills and a desire to serve. They leave with a credentialed trade and a career.
• Riding aboard the No. 7, Walmart is helping veterans build new careers in the skilled trades. Through its partnership with UHP, Walmart is supporting hands-on training that gives veterans the skills they need to move into in-demand, skilled-trades careers. UHP’s first Skilled Trades Institute class recently graduated nine veterans, marking an important step in creating a stronger path from military service to civilian careers and showing what’s possible when employers like Walmart invest in veteran talent.
• Suárez has logged 16 previous Cup Series appearances at the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval located in Henrico County, Va., where he’s earned a pair of venue-best seventh-place finishes (2017/2019). He has five top-10 finishes and led 94 laps in total and is credited with an average starting position of 23.0 and a 16.6 average finish.
• Through 23 races, the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 winner sits 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings and boasts the third-highest improvement in points position, year over year, with 13 races remaining to determine this year’s champion. He’s notched one win, two top fives, five top 10s and has only finished outside the top 20 five times. Meanwhile, he’s recorded a 12.9 average start and a 15.1 average finish.
• The Monterrey, Mexico native has improved his short-track performance in 2026, averaging a 16th-place finish through four races, compared to a 23.6 average in 2025. His 2026 results include a ninth at North (N.C.) Wilkesboro Speedway, 12th at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, 20th at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and 23rd last weekend at Iowa Speedway.
• In the Cup Series most recent stop, Suárez qualified 33rd and struggled to find grip throughout the race. Still, he raced his way into the top 20 ahead of the final stage and into the top 10 prior to his final green-flag pit stop of the day. Unfortunately, he didn’t crack the top 10 as the laps wound down and was ultimately credited with a 23rd-place result.
• In five NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series appearances at Richmond, Suárez has one top-five, three top-10 and five top-20 finishes.
• Suárez brings 346 Cup Series starts of experience to the field, along with three career victories at Sonoma (June 2022), Atlanta (February 2024) and Charlotte (May 2026). A veteran of NASCAR’s premier division, he has earned 26 top-five and 81 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut in 2017. Suárez has also led 947 laps and has collected three career poles.

Daniel Suárez Quote
What do you like about racing at Richmond, and what makes it such a tough track?
“Richmond is a track I really enjoy because there’s a lot going on throughout the race. It’s a short track, but it doesn’t feel simple. You’re constantly managing the tires, looking for the right line and trying to keep the car underneath you as the track changes. The long green-flag runs can make a big difference and you have to be smart about when you push and when you save.

“I think the experience we’ve gained on the short tracks this year will help us at Richmond. We’ve learned more about what I need from the car, especially as the tires start to fall off. Hopefully, we can unload with a strong car, make the right adjustments during the race and put ourselves in position to compete for a strong finish.”

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Ryan Sparks is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Sparks has called nine previous Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway and has a pair of 21st-place finishes with driver Corey LaJoie.
• All totaled, Sparks has called 226 Cup Series races where he’s earned one win, six top-five and 15 top-10 finishes since keying the mic in 2020 for his first race in NASCAR’s premier division.
• 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 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 Workforce Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.
• For the third time this season, Workforce Occupational Health and Safety Solutions will serve as the primary sponsor aboard McDowell’s No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro. Workforce Occupational Health and Safety Solutions is based in Pittsburgh with partners throughout North America. For over 30 years, Workforce continues to provide support to clients through the operation of three divisions – Work Injury Management, Medical Bill Repricing and Employer Services. The Work Injury Management Division provides access to telephonic physician services with expedited access to a nationwide network of specialty, imaging and therapy providers – and employer access to OSHA recordable injury investigation and impact mitigation services, preferred medical provider panel development and more. The Medical Bill Repricing Division provides cost containment to clients by minimizing incident, experience, and injury frequency rates, reducing exposure to insurance premium increases. The Employer Services Division provides employee onboarding and testing services, corporate safety committee oversight, required annual certification coordination and integration of any required testing, licensing, or accreditation. Since 1995, Workforce’s mission is developing long-term partnerships with employers that facilitate successful and positive impacts on health and safety issues encountered by their employees at the workplace.
• McDowell has made 28 starts in NASCAR’s premier division at Richmond Raceway and calls a sixth-place finish (April 2023) a series/venue best. Meanwhile, the 19-year Cup Series veteran has notched three top-15 and six top-20 finishes at the popular 0.75-mile oval. In the series most recent visit last August, McDowell started 10th and finished 17th.
• The Glendale, Ariz., native has logged five NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Richmond where he earned a venue-best eighth-place finish in the 2009 Lipton Tea 250.
• Last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, the 41-year-old qualified 11th but finished 25th after being saddled with a pit-road penalty in the late goings of last weekend’s 350-lap race.
• After 23 points-paying races, the 2021 Daytona 500 Champion is 21st in the Cup Series championship standings, posting two top-five, five top-10 and 12 top-20 finishes. With three races remaining before The Chase begins in September at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the father-of-five sits 72 points below the cutline.
• Michael McDowell Quotes
• Talk about the differences and similarities between Iowa and Richmond.
• “Richmond is very different from Iowa (Speedway). It’s not as bumpy or rough. Richmond is smooth and both tracks are essentially the same shape. Iowa was modeled after Richmond when Rusty (Wallace) and that group put the track together, but it doesn’t feel like Richmond at all. Iowa really is one of a kind. You can burn up rear tires there if you’re not careful, but Richmond has always been the same. Even after transitioning from the old car to the NextGen, we really haven’t seen much of a change. We need a good day in Richmond. We qualified well last year and had a decent day, so hopefully we can take the next step with our short track package and gain some points this weekend.”

Travis Peterson – Crew Chief, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Travis Peterson serves as the crew chief for driver Michael McDowell and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Peterson has called five Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway, all with McDowell in the cockpit and led him to a venue-best, sixth-place finish in April 2023.
• As a former race engineer at JR Motorsports, the 35-year-old played key roles in both Chase Elliott’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ runner-up finishes at Richmond in 2014.

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

• Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, his fourth start at the Virginia 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.
• Through 23 races, Hocevar sits eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, a mere 13 markers behind seventh, and has already set career-highs in multiple categories including:
• Season-to-date results of one win, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes
• 644 points scored
• 10.7 average start
• 14.8 average finish
• The 23-year-old driver has been the most improved driver on the Cup Series tour compared to last season. The No. 77 team’s average starting and finishing positions have each improved by nearly eight spots compared to this point in 2025. Hocevar is on pace to improve his average finish by 6.8 positions by the end of the season – the largest improvement of all drivers – while his eighth position in points is a 15-position improvement compared to the end of 2025 – the third-best of any driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit.
• Hocevar earned a venue-best eighth-place finish in August 2024, followed by a 15th-place finish in the series’ most recent Richmond visit last summer.
• The six-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner took the checkered flag on July 29, 2023 in the Worldwide Express 250. After relinquishing the lead on Lap 210 to hit pit road for his final scheduled service of the night, Hocevar rejoined the field in 17th, one lap behind the leader. He went on to pass race leader Ty Majeski for the top spot with four laps remaining and cruised to Victory Lane.
• Last Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Hocevar started 18th and quickly moved to the 11th position before a Lap-5 caution. On the ensuing run, he reported an engine issue. The No. 77 team made multiple efforts throughout the race to diagnose the problem, with Hocevar losing several laps to the leaders before coming to a resolution. They were ultimately credited with a 31st-place finish and finished three laps off the pace.
• 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 and brought home the checkered flag to register Spire Motorsports’ second Cup Series win and first since the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Carson Hocevar Quote
What are your thoughts heading to Richmond after a tough day last Sunday in Iowa?
“I like racing at Richmond. It is one of those places I can move around and find something that may work for me, but doesn’t necessarily translate to anyone else, similar to North Wilkesboro a few weeks back. Qualifying will be important since it is tough to pass, but we have shown good speed on Saturdays throughout the year.

“Iowa obviously didn’t go how we wanted. Even with as bad of a day as we had, fifth in points is still within reach.”

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Luke Lambert is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Carson Hocevar.
• Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with Hocevar. The duo has logged two pole awards, one win, eight top-five and 24 top-10 finishes in 103 races.
• The 43-year-old has called 22 NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond Raceway, totaling two top-five and six top-10 finishes, highlighted by a third-place finish in Sept. 2017 with driver Ryan Newman. He adds a pair of top fives during his time as a race engineer for Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team in May 2009 and 2010.
• In O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition, the Mount Airy, N.C., native has called three races, collecting a venue-best sixth-place result with Elliott Sadler in April 2012.

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.