Spire Motorsports Bank of America ROVAL 400 Race Advance

• In 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL, Spire Motorsports has logged two top-15 and four top-20 finishes. Both Corey LaJoie and Carson Hocevar, driver of the team’s No. 77 Modo Casino Chevrolet ZL1, earned a team-best 12th-place result on the layout in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s with Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.
• All three Spire Chevrolet ZL1s will participate in the “Window of Hope” program, swapping the traditional black window net for pink netting to honor and raise funds for breast cancer awareness through the Erik Jones Foundation.
• The Bank of America ROVAL 400 will be televised live on USA Sunday, Oct. 5 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 32nd of 36 points-paying events on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

• Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge STEM Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
• Haley joined 50 middle school students from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) event Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the GM Tech Center in Concord, N.C., less than a mile from Charlotte. The program featured live pit stop demonstrations at Hendrick Motorsports’ pit pad where the team’s Pit Stop Coach, Keith Flynn, explained each pit crew role, allowed students to handle the equipment, and held a competition where select students were able to change a race-car tire.
• In four previous Cup Series starts at the ROVAL, Haley earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes, including a venue-best fifth place effort in October 2022 on the 2.32-mile road course/oval layout. Over those four starts, Haley has logged a 27.3 average start and a 22.5 average finish and completed 396 of 439 laps contested (90.2 percent).
• The ROVAL serves as the sixth and final road course on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. This season, Haley has earned finishes of 16th at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, 24th at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, 22nd at the Chicago Street Race, 15th at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and 27th at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
• The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation empowers communities with clean, safe places for underserved youth to play, learn, and grow. Since 2018, Group 1001 and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) have combined efforts to build 17 youth development parks and install 20 STEM centers nationwide. Group 1001 employees have joined CRSF to host and volunteer for four Community Enhancement Projects. CRSF and Group 1001 have impacted over 100,000 youth in their joint effort to promote active lifestyles and educational opportunities. For more information, visit https://ripkenfoundation.org/ or follow and connect with us @CalRipkenSrFdn @gainbridgesport @GainbridgeSport.
• Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.com or follow and connect with Gainbridge on X and LinkedIn.
• Haley has also found success in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at the ROVAL where the Winamac, Ind., native has made three starts, earning one top-five finish, a fourth-place result in the 67-lap event in October 2021. Across those three races, Haley posted a 5.3 average starting position, a 23.3 average finish, and led a total of seven laps.
• Haley has made four previous starts for Spire Motorsports at “America’s Home For Racing,” two of which were on the ROVAL, finishing 37th in October 2021 and 26th in October 2024. He recorded finishes of 28th in May 2021 and 30th in May 2025 on the speedway’s 1.5-mile quad-oval.
• Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Haley and the No. 7 crew started 22nd and finished 18th to earn the team’s 13th top-20 finish of the season.
• Sunday’s race at the ROVAL will mark Haley’s 176th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Over the course of the last seven seasons, the 26-year-old has collected one win, six top five, 18 top 10s and led 123 laps. He made his first premier series start with Spire Motorsports at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in 2019 and has since made 75 Cup Series starts with the team.
• Justin Haley Quotes
• The ROVAL marks the final road course of the season, and you’ve earned top-20 finishes at both COTA and Sonoma. What’s your mindset going into this weekend’s race?
• “I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of the ROVAL. It’s exciting for both the drivers and the fans, which brings its importance to a premium. We’ve been working towards getting the road course package more comfortable and I’ve had some of my best races at the ROVAL. I’m looking forward to racing at home this weekend.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

• Ryan Sparks serves a dual role as Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley.
• The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has sat atop the pit box for 197 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes over the course of his career.
• Sparks has called five previous Cup Series races on the ROVAL, where he earned his venue-best 12th-place in 2022 with Corey LaJoie.

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

• Michael McDowell will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Delaware Life/FIG Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• McDowell owns seven Cup Series starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, calling a 2019 12th-place finish his venue and career best. Across those seven races, the Glendale, Ariz., native claimed two top-15 and four top-20 finishes.
• The seasoned road racer qualified inside the top-15 in two of his last three attempts and recorded the 11th-fastest lap in time trials at the 2022 event.
• Across his seven ROVAL starts in NASCAR’s premier division, the father-of-five completed 100 percent of the laps contested, where he’s logged a total of 766 laps.
• McDowell’s cousin, Jason Noll, will assist primary spotter Michael Fisher this weekend.
• The 2023 Verizon 200 at The Brickyard winner claimed two top-five finishes on road courses in 2025, including a season best fourth-place effort during NASCAR’s June visit to Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
• Last weekend at Kansas Speedway, McDowell started at the rear of the field following a post-inspection penalty, but rallied to a team-best 14th-place finish at the 1.5-mile track.
• In his last four races, the 40-year-old driver has earned an average finish of 13.2 including an eighth-place finish two races ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Over the course of 31 races in 2025, McDowell tallied two top-five, four top-10, 13 top-15, and 18 top-20 finishes. To date, the veteran racer has earned an average starting position of 15.9, an 18.9 average finish, led 86 laps, and been running at the finish of all but two of the season’s first 31 points-paying races.
• This weekend’s Delaware Life Chevrolet will feature Charlotte-based Financial Independence Group (FIG) on the hood of McDowells’ blue and teal machine.
• Financial Independence Group (FIG) is a financial services company and national leader in the independent marketing organization (IMO) and field marketing organization (FMO) industry. Privately held and independently owned, FIG’s fixed insurance solutions help independent, licensed financial professionals guide their retail investment clients to an optimal retirement plan. FIG has provided solutions for over 49 years, specializing in guaranteed income, asset protection, and multi-generational planning. Over 3,000 professionals across the U.S. access more than 70 top-rated carriers to design fixed index annuity, fixed annuity, life insurance, care planning, and disability income solutions to best fit the interests of their clients.
• McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The team is one of just three in the series to tally three or more bonus points via the program.
• The No. 71 team secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. McDowell’s 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap recorded in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval. The team also earned Spire Motorsports’ first stage win during the Grant Park 165 on the streets of downtown Chicago.
• McDowell’s team earned a handsome $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during May’s NASCAR All-Star Weekend at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s winning 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning them the title of the fastest team on pit road.

Michael McDowell Quote
Talk about the ROVAL from the point of view of a road course ace?
“The ROVAL is unique, it’s one of a kind in the sense that it’s not like any other road courses we see. It’s not a typical or standard road course. But the oval part of it isn’t really a thing anymore. I think in the old car you had to choose whether you wanted your car to go through the banking or go through the infield, whereas now in the Next-Gen car it’s not really a hybrid, as much. So, set up wise you’re thinking about it from a road-course standpoint, but it’s very unique.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

• Crew chief Travis Peterson joined Spire Motorsports following the 2024 season after spending 2023-2024 calling the shots for McDowell at Front Row Motorsports.
• Prior to his time as McDowell’s crew chief, Peterson worked as a race engineer for RFK Racing, earning back-to-back top-10 finishes (2021-2022) with Chris Buescher including a venue-best finish of third in 2022.
• Across two Cup Series races at the ROVAL, the West Bend, Wisc., crew chief holds an average start of 17.0 paired with an average finish of 23.5.

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

• Modo Casino returns to Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet ZL1 for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Portage, Mich., native has just one previous start at the 2.32-mile road course resulting in a 12th-place effort.
• Modo Casino, America’s fastest-growing social casino from ARB Interactive, is proudly built in the U.S. and offers players the thrill of casino-style gaming online. This free-to-play platform features hundreds of popular slot titles, live dealer experiences, and classic table games like Blackjack and Roulette. Players use free coins to compete and can redeem winnings for real-world prizes and experiences, creating a fun, accessible and low stress way to play. Through partnerships with major sports properties, Modo Casino delivers exclusive content, unique fan experiences, and culturally relevant entertainment for millions of players nationwide. Modo Casino follows the International Social Games Association’s and the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance’s best practice principles, as well as all relevant consumer protection, competition, advertising and privacy regulations. Modo Casino will return to the No. 77 Chevy at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
• Hocevar has eight total starts on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series with a best finish of third earned at Watkins Glen International on September 15, 2024.
• The Delaware Life team is coming off an eighth-place showing in last Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway. Hocevar qualified sixth and earned stage points in Stage 1 before a spin midway through Stage 2 sent him to the back of the pack. The 22-year-old driver rallied for his best finish in two starts at the 0.875-mile D-shaped oval and his second top-10 finish in as many races.
• Through 31 of 36 points-paying races, Hocevar has spent 53.4% of laps run inside the top 15 – more than double his total at this time last season. He ranks ninth among all drivers on speed shown early in the run.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
How has your approach to road course races changed over the last year?
“Last year, in general, our focus was to finish races. We’ve changed that approach to going for wins and going as hard as we can so I think that’s allowed me to learn more about racing up front and challenging for position. I think there’s a lot of opportunity on road courses and we’ve run decent this year, it’s just finishing it out.”

Have you adjusted your driving style throughout the playoffs as you race around guys that are trying to advance to Phoenix?
“Not really. I’m not going to intentionally put anyone in a bad spot, but we’re still here to win races. I appreciate what they are fighting for and don’t want to be the driver that ruins someone’s playoff run. I just rely on the team to keep me updated on what is going on and I focus on my goal, which is getting to the front.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

• Luke Lambert will call his seventh NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday. Hocevar’s 12th-place result was the second-best for the crew chief, only ranking behind an 11th-place finish with Ryan Newman in 2018.
• The Mount Airy, N.C., native has also called one NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte-based venue; a third-place effort with driver Noah Gragson in 2022.

About Spire Motorsports …
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 (Fla.) 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 (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and an ARCA Menards Series Chevrolet in select events.