Leader in Casual Dining to Honor Gold Star Family at Coca-Cola 600
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 21, 2024) – A fourth-place finish and 200,000 margaritas sold in a single day stamped a standout maiden voyage for Spire Motorsports and Chili’s® Grill & Bar, and the pair announced today a partnership extension for three additional NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races in 2024 aboard Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 beginning with this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The extended partnership includes associate sponsorship on the No. 7 for the rest of the 2024 season.
In addition to this weekend’s annual 600-miler, Chili’s will also be showcased as LaJoie’s primary sponsor at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 2 and again at Darlington Raceway Labor Day Weekend. LaJoie earned a career-best fourth-place finish in Chili’s first foray with the team at the Daytona 500, and just three days later the brand had a banner National Margarita Day, selling more than 200,000 of its signature drinks that day.
“Numbers are important, but relationships are everything,” said Chili’s CMO George Felix. “We jumped into NASCAR for the first time this year because we saw a chance to reach this passionate fanbase, but to do that we needed to find the perfect driver and team for Chili’s. We have that with Corey and Spire. We’re excited to solidify this partnership by putting the pepper back on the hood at some of the season’s remaining marquee races.”
In keeping with the tradition of honoring fallen service members during NASCAR’s annual Memorial Day Weekend festivities, LaJoie will be racing in honor of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeremie S. Border, of Mesquite, Texas, who died September 1, 2012, by small arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
Border was assigned to Company Alpha, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Okinawa, Japan and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan.
His name will be displayed on the windshield of LaJoie’s Chevy Camaro throughout the race weekend. Border is the brother of long-tenured Chili’s team member DeLaynie Peek, who will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway as NASCAR and its teams honor Gold Star Families for the seventh consecutive year.
“I’d put my brother’s name or face on anything if it meant people could learn about the hero and protector he was, so for it to happen in such a visible and memorable way is just amazing,” Border’s sister and Chili’s team member DeLaynie Peek said. “Chili’s wanted to honor someone connected to its family, and that says so much about the company’s culture that they’re making sure this moment didn’t pass without making one of their own feel special. We’re so grateful to them and to Spire and Corey for choosing Jeremie to ride along this weekend.”
Border graduated from Mesquite High School in 2002 and attended college at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas earning his bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Communications. He entered the Army in 2006 as an infantryman, where he completed basic training, advanced individual training and basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Expert Infantry Badge and the Army Parachutist Badge.
Border was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghan Campaign Medal.
“This is always a special weekend,” said LaJoie. “Seeing Staff Sgt. Border’s name on the windshield of our Chili’s Chevy Camaro is incredibly humbling. He put the wellbeing of his fellow soldiers and civilians above his own. Chili’s has stepped up in a big way to honor one of their very own Gold Star Families, and It’s really an honor to represent Chili’s, Staff Sgt. Border and his family.”
LaJoie has logged 10 previous NCS starts at the legendary 1.5-mile Concord, N.C. oval and earned a venue/race-best 12th-place finish in the 2019 running of NASCAR’s longest race. Last May, the third- generation racer started 25th and finished 17th.
The Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, May 26, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. NASCAR’s annual Memorial Day Weekend 600-mile classic will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
About Chili’s® Grill & Bar …
Hi, welcome to Chili’s! We are a leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT). We are known for our big mouth burgers, Chicken Crispers®, full-on sizzling fajitas and hand-shaken margaritas. We take our food seriously – but not ourselves – because dining out should feel like a celebration even if there is nothing to celebrate. Our passion is making everyone feel special, and every day, our ChiliHeads make it their job to spread #ChilisLove across almost 1,600 restaurants in 27 countries and two territories. And Chili’s cares. We host local Give Back Events to support kids, education and hunger and have raised more than $100 million benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through generous Guest donations. Find more information about us at chilis.com, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, like us on Facebook or join us on TikTok.
About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race team co-owned by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2024, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively. The team will also field the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados full time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. An all-star driver lineup will rotate throughout the 2024 season in the No. 7 Chevy. Rajah Caruth will drive the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Chevrolets in the No. 77.
Spire Motorsports 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 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 Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on April 12, 2024, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.
