Spire Motorsports Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Race Advance

• The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for the first of two races on the 2026 schedule. In 15 starts at “The Last Great Colosseum”, Spire Motorsports has earned three top-five and seven top-10 finishes, highlighted by Kyle Busch’s runner-up effort in March 2024. Connor Zilisch claimed the team’s lone pole award at Bristol in the September 2024 event.
• The Tennessee Army National Guard 250 will be televised live on FS1 Friday, April 10 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The sixth 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.

Kyle Busch – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

• Kyle Busch will pilot the No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway for his second start of the 2026 season with Spire Motorsports.
• Busch will drive Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-088 on Friday, the same truck he drove to Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. He earned his third-consecutive victory at the 1.54-mile track, ahead of teammate Carson Hocevar in second, and led a total of 37 laps after starting from the third position.
• The 40-year-old driver has made 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Bristol, resulting in five wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s. Busch has started from the pole position four times and led a total of 649 laps at “The Last Great Colosseum.”
• Busch last piloted the No. 7 Silverado at Bristol in March 2024. He started fourth, won the first two stages and led a total of 105 laps before securing a runner-up finish.
• In addition to his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series experience at the half-mile track nestled in the mountains of Tennessee, Busch has competed in 38 races in the Cup Series, logging eight wins,14 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. His resume also includes nine O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins in 27 starts, with 17 top fives and 20 top 10s.
• Busch holds the record for the most all-time wins at Bristol in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and sits fifth in line for most Cup Series wins at the track behind NASCAR legends Darrell Waltrip (12), Dale Earnhardt (9), Rusty Wallace (9), and Cale Yarborough (9).
• In August 2010, Kyle Busch drove to victory in all three national touring series races at Bristol to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win in all three series at the same track in the same week. He doubled-down, accomplishing the feat for the second time seven years later.
• 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.
• The Las Vegas native holds the record for most CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins (68) and highest average finish in series history (6.7), while he ranks second on the series’ all-time laps led list where he’s paced the field for 8,167 circuits.
• In five starts last season with Spire Motorsports, Busch collected one win (Atlanta Motor Speedway), two top fives and three top 10s.
• Busch will return to CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition May 1 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he will again be paired with veteran crew chief Brian Pattie and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team.

Kyle Busch Quotes
What makes Bristol such a special track?
“Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most unique racetracks on the circuit. It’s a fan favorite and that makes it all the more exciting for the drivers. With all the cars being packed on top of one another, it creates a lot of action. It can certainly be frustrating as a driver when it doesn’t go your way, but that’s what creates a good atmosphere for everyone watching in the stands and on TV.”

You’ve had a lot of success at Bristol, what is your outlook as you get back in the Spire Motorsports truck for this weekend’s race?
“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks. Winning there always helps, but it’s always fun to get in the truck and see how we stack up against the guys who race in the series every week. Pattie and the team have done a great job getting things ready and we showed a lot of speed there a few years ago, so I’m looking forward to giving the Spire team another good run. We’ll just have to see how the race plays out, stay out of trouble and put ourselves in position to be there at the end.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

• Brian Pattie calls the shots for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado, an entry that will see a plethora of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
• In last week’s race at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Pattie guided Sammy Smith to an 11th-place effort. In five races this season, the No. 7 team has earned one win, two top-five and four top-15 finishes.
• In his first season with Spire Motorsports in 2024, Pattie led the No. 7 team to two victories across the first seven events of the season, both with Kyle Busch (Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway). The duo also won twice across five races in 2023 with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
• Pattie is a 25-year veteran of the sport, 14 of which came in the NASCAR Cup Series. As a crew chief, he has earned six wins in Cup Series competition and 11 victories in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition, Pattie has earned seven wins, four of which since he started with Spire Motorsports in 2024.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

• Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Suárez will pull double duty this weekend and also race Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Food City 500.
• Suárez has registered 28 career starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, highlighted by a victory at Phoenix Raceway (2016). The Mexican-born racer also includes 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes on his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series resume.
• The Monterrey, Mexico, native showed dominant speed in the 2016 UNOH 200 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Bristol, leading 77 laps before surrendering the top spot to Kyle Busch Motorsports’ teammate William Byron on a restart with 24 laps to go. Later, a right-rear tire issue caused him to impact the outside retaining wall with 14 laps remaining, resulting in a 29th-place finish.
• Suárez was last behind the wheel of a truck in a relief effort for Spire Motorsports teammate Carson Hocevar at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 2022. Hocevar qualified on the pole, but was relieved by Suárez on Lap 11 after sustaining a leg injury on the final lap at World Wide Technology Raceway, one week prior. Despite falling a lap down due to the driver swap, Suárez drove the truck to a sixth-place finish. He went on to capture his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at the venue one day later.
• The 34-year-old has been consistently strong at Bristol Motor Speedway in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition, tallying four top-five and five top-10 finishes in six starts, highlighted by a pair of runner-up results in April 2015 and August 2017.
• In 330 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Suárez has earned 25 top fives and 77 top 10s, claiming victories at Sonoma Raceway (June 2022) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 2024).
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• Suarez will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-085 on Friday. The truck has made four starts, most recently last October at Phoenix Raceway with Stefan Parsons at the controls. Rajah Caruth earned a chassis-best eighth-place result at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in October 2024.

Daniel Suárez Quote
What does it mean to return to the Truck Series with a crew chief you’ve had success with, and how does that familiarity help you heading into this weekend?
“I’m really excited to get back to the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series—it’s been a few years. The last full race I ran was the dirt race about five years ago, so it’s been a long time since I’ve competed on an oval. Honestly, the last time I did a true oval race was back in 2016, so this is a race I’ve been looking forward to. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel in the No. 71 Freeway Insurance Silverado RST. The last time I worked with this team and Bono, we were able to win a race, so hopefully we can have some fun first and, with a little luck, bring home another trophy.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion

• Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, tallying one top five and three top 10s, including Nick Sanchez’s fifth-place result in April of 2024.
• Manion served as crew chief for Daniel Suárez at Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2016, guiding him to his first and only CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory at Phoenix Raceway, where the No. 51 team led 34 laps, including the final 12, in the Lucas Oil 150.
• The Boylston, Mass., native led Martin Truex, Jr., to Victory Lane in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition at “The Last Great Colosseum” in March 2004. Truex led 134 laps en route to his first of six wins on the year.
• Manion, a 31-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed victory in its second outing with driver William Byron at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
• “Bono” has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck series wins. Manion is also one of 11 crew chiefs to have called wins across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

• Carson Hocevar will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Hocevar will pull double duty this weekend at Bristol, where he’ll pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevy Silverado prior to his traditional NASCAR Cup Series duties aboard the team’s No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500.
• The five-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner has made four series starts at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile”, registering one top five and two top 10s, including a venue-best fourth-place finish in September 2023.
• The 23-year-old driver, a veteran of 85 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, has logged one pole, five wins, 23 top fives and 35 top 10s, while leading 767 laps. He made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in all his three full-time seasons and earned a spot in the 2023 Championship 4.
• Hocevar, driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, currently sits 15th in the division’s championship point standings. His two top fives, two top 10s, 171 points scored and 16.6 average finish are all career highs for the Michigan native through the first seven points-paying races of the season.
• The Portage, Mich., native registered a victory in one of four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts in 2025, guiding the Brian Pattie-led No. 7 team to Victory Lane in the Heart of America 200 at Kansas Speedway. He led 75 of the event’s 134 laps en route to his most recent victory and first aboard a Spire Motorsports-prepared Chevy Silverado.
• Hocevar will drive Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-087 Friday evening. Kyle Larson drove the truck to Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway last March and a runner-up finish at Bristol Motor Speedway two races later. Most recently, Hocevar finished second in the truck at Atlanta after pushing teammate Kyle Busch to the win, and the second one-two finish in team history. Overall, the chassis owns a 10.8 average starting position and an average finishing position of 6.8.
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Carson Hocevar Quote
Despite an outstanding display of speed in your first four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, the results haven’t worked out. What do you need to change that?
”We have had a lot of speed and been up front, but things just haven’t worked out. Just bad luck. It’s part of racing. I know we can and will win some of these, we just need everything to come together.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

• Chad Walter calls the shots from the top of the No. 77 pit box, an entry that will see multiple all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2026 season.
• Walter has called seven CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, logging five top-10 results highlighted by Rajah Caruth’s third-place finish in September 2024.
• The Albion, N.Y., native has visited Victory Lane twice in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition, leading Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier to victories in the spring event in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
• On the dirt configuration at Bristol, the veteran crew chief led Canadian-driver Raphael Lessard to a third-place result in the inaugural Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt in 2021.
• Between NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the 54-year-old has racked up six wins, 55 top fives and 140 top 10s.
• Walter earned a mechanical engineering degree from the Cornell University College of Engineering. During his studies, he played defensive end for the Big Red football team.

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 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 win came on Feb. 21, 2026, when Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in the Fr8 Racing 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign 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 will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.