Spire Motorsports North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Advance

• In seven NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has earned one top five, three top 10s, and has never finished worse than 16th. The team’s best result was a fifth-place showing by Kyle Busch last May.
• The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be televised live on FS1 Friday, May 22 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 10th 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 Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will mark his fifth NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the 2026 season for Spire Motorsports.
• Busch will pull double duty this weekend, where he’ll also race the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
• The 41-year-old will contest his 185th CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start this weekend, his second-best track, statistically speaking. In 16 starts at Charlotte, Busch has accrued eight wins, 13 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, while leading the field for 789 circuits. To add to his complete domination in the stat column, the veteran driver boasts a 5.9 average starting position and an ultra-impressive 2.9 average finish.
• The two-time Cup Series champion secured his first of 69 Truck Series victories at the Charlotte in 2005, driving a Chevrolet for longtime friend and team owner Billy Ballew.
• In addition to his impressive resume behind the wheel of a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series entry at CMS, nine of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ all-time winningest driver’s 102 checkered flags came at the Concord, N.C., venue. He rounds out his long list of NASCAR national touring series victories at “America’s Home for Racing” with a 2018 Coca-Cola 600 win.
• Busch, a Las Vegas native, holds the record for most CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins (69) and best average finish in series history (6.6), while ranking second on the series’ all-time laps led list (8,353).
• Last weekend, the 41-year-old delivered a perfect performance in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ ECOSAVE 200 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway where he set a new track record in qualifying en route to the Kennametal Pole Award. Following the green flag, he swept both stages, recorded the fastest lap of the race and led a race-high 147 circuits on his way to his series-leading 69th career victory. The win marked Busch’s second triumph in four starts for Spire Motorsports this season and his fifth career Truck Series victory at the “Monster Mile.”
• Busch will return to the seat of the No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet next week at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. He will round out his eight-race slate at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway (July 18) and Richmond (Va.) Raceway (Aug. 14).
• 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.
• Busch will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-088 Friday afternoon, the same truck he drove to Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February where he earned his third-consecutive victory at the 1.54-mile track.

Kyle Busch Quote
Why do you continue to run races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series?
“I really enjoy racing at Spire, which is kind of KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), and having a lot of the same guys working in the Truck Series program now that were there when I kind of left. It’s a lot of fun to go out and win truck races with them, especially when we can put on a dominant performance like we did last week at Dover. I felt like last year there were some places where we really struggled, but Brian Pattie (crew chief) and his vision has helped us get things going in the right direction this year and it has been reflective in our speed and our finishes. Anybody that knows me, knows that I’m not satisfied winning just two of the four races, and I wish that we were four-for-four, but I’ve got four races left on the schedule this year and our goal is to go out and win those four starting this weekend at Charlotte. We’ve got a really cool HENDRICKCARS.COM patriotic paint scheme this week and with it being a home race, I know that we’ll have a lot of people out at the track on Friday. It would be really satisfying to celebrate with them in Victory Lane.”

Do you have a set win number that you are looking for in the Truck Series before you are done?
“I don’t have a number in mind. Obviously, the XFINITY number, 102, is pretty awesome. Once upon a time, I think my number in the Cup series was wanting to eclipse Dale (Earnhardt), and what is that, 76 right? So, you needed 77. Somewhere in there would have been kind of what my goal was for the Cup series, but at this point in my career I’ll take whatever I can get in all the different series because you never know when the last one’s going to be.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

• Brian Pattie is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet RST, an entry that will see an abundance of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel across the 2026 season.
• Through the season’s first nine races, the No. 7 team sits first in the division’s owner points standings on the strength of two wins, four top-five and six top-10 finishes.
• The Pattie-Busch duo has quickly emerged as one of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ most formidable pairings in 2026. The potent duo delivered a flawless performance last weekend at Dover where Busch collected the Kennametal Pole Award, swept both stages and led a race-high 147 laps en route to his 69th career Truck Series victory.
• The Zephyrhills, Fla., native has called 25 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best showing at the 1.5-mile oval came in October 2012, when he led Clint Bowyer to the win in the Bank of America 500.
• The 24-year industry veteran spent 14 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division. As a crew chief, he has amassed six wins in Cup Series competition, 11 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and nine in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He stands as one of 11 crew chiefs to win races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Shane van Gisbergen – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

• Shane van Gisbergen will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 NationsGuard Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200.
• Van Gisbergen will pull double duty this weekend, where hell also race the the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
• Friday’s 134-lap event will mark Van Gisbergen’s third CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start. He competed in two events (2023, 2026) for Niece Motorsports, scoring a career-best third-place finish at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
• The 37-year-old driver has registered two career top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile oval configurations in the NASCAR Cup Series. He notched a 10th-place result at Kansas Speedway in 2025 before collecting a career-best sixth-place result at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this season.
• Van Gisbergen knows his way to Victory Lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He scored his first oval victory on American soil during the 2025 Cook Out Summer Shootout season finale, capturing the win in the US Pro Legends division on the facility’s quarter-mile oval, located on the front straightaway.
• That same year, the Auckland, New Zealand, native also drove to victory in the Bank of America 400 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Van Gisbergen traded the lead four times with Kyle Larson during the final stage before taking control for good with 12 laps to go en route to the win at “America’s Home for Racing.”
• NationsGuard is an innovator in the Automotive F&I space. Its programs are designed to maximize sales, profit, CSI and customer retention. NationsGuard delivers consistent, measurable results through disciplined monitoring and continuous improvement. The process measures every key element of a dealer’s program – from vehicle inspection efficiency to service advisor performance. NationsGuard targets and eliminates waste and inefficiency wherever it’s found, maintaining process improvements, making changes where necessary and relentlessly pursuing perfection.
• Van Gisbergen will pilot Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-085 on Friday. The truck has made five starts, most recently last month at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway with Daniel Suarez at the controls. Rajah Caruth earned a chassis-best eighth-place result at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in October 2024.

Shane van Gisbergen Quote
You made your first Truck Series start of the year a few weeks ago at Watkins Glen, how are you feeling about being in the No. 71 NationsGuard Chevrolet at Charlotte?
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to run the No. 71 truck for Spire Motorsports. It’s going to be epic. I really enjoy racing the Truck Series. I had a decent crack at it a couple of weekends ago in Watkins Glen, but I’m looking forward to another go on an oval. Thanks to Spire, NationsGuard, Chevrolet and Trackhouse for this opportunity.”

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

• Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called eight NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Charlotte, collecting two wins, three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
• Manion secured his first of two CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins at “America’s Home for Racing” with Kyle Busch in the 2017 event. Busch dominated the night, leading 90 of the event’s 134 laps en route to Victory Lane.
• The 53-year-old called Nick Sanchez and the No. 2 team to victory in the 2024 edition of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Sanchez restarted seventh on a late-race restart with nine laps remaining. He held the top spot for the final nine circuits to score his second-career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory.
• As a crew chief at Chip Ganassi Racing, Manion led Jamie McMurray to a runner-up finish in the 2010 Coca-Cola 600. Four months later, the pairing scored their third win of the season when the series returned to the Concord-oval for the Bank of America 500.
• Manion, a 32-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed its first victory in its second outing with William Byron behind the wheel at Martinsville Speedway.
• The Boylston, Mass., native has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 11 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.

Connor Zilisch – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST

• Connor Zilisch will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200.
• Zilisch will pull triple duty on the weekend, aiming to complete 734 laps and 1,101 miles over three days. He will drive the No. 77 Silverado in addition to his typical duties aboard Trackhouse Racing’s No. 88 Camaro in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 and the No. 1 Camaro for JR Motorsports in Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Charbroil 300. He joins Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain as the only drivers set to compete in all three events this weekend.
• The 134-lap event will mark Zilich’s 10th CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and eighth with Spire Motorsports. In his nine previous series starts, he has tallied three top-five and four top-10 finishes, accompanied by two Kennametal Pole Awards.
• The Charlotte, N.C., native first raced at “America’s Home for Racing” in the 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event. He qualified second and spent the entire afternoon in the top five, but was outdueled for the victory by Cup Series star William Byron.
• Zilisch made his second-career NASCAR Cup Series start in last season’s Coca-Cola 600. where he started 33rd and finished 23rd.
• Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan, with confidence, for whatever’s next.
• Zilisch will be at the controls of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-087 Friday night. 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, Carson Hocevar finished ninth with this truck at Bristol Motor Speedway. Overall, the chassis owns a 10.3 average starting position and a 7.1 average finish.

Connor Zilisch Quote
How beneficial will it be for you to compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway all three days this weekend, and how much confidence does the strong run at Watkins Glen give you heading into Friday night with Spire Motorsports?
“This opportunity came together a little late but it’s so cool that I now get to race at Charlotte all three days this weekend. I’m really looking forward to competing with the Spire Motorsports guys Friday night. We ran well a few weeks ago at Watkins Glen and I certainly think our Delaware Life Chevrolet will be competitive at Charlotte. It’s always beneficial for me to get extra laps on the track. I really appreciate everyone at Trackhouse and Spire coming together to make this happen on such short notice.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

• Chad Walter calls the shots from 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 five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While paired with Rajah Caruth in 2024, Walter called the young driver to four top 10 finishes on 1.5-mile ovals, including his first-career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• In 14 appearances atop the box in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition at CMS, the Cornell University graduate has amassed three top fives and five top 10s, highlighted by a runner-up finish with Casey Mears and Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 team in 2007. One day later, Mears claimed his only Cup Series victory in the Coca-Cola 600.
• Between NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Albion, N.Y. native has racked up seven wins, 56 top fives and 142 top 10s.

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 1, 2026, when Carson Hocevar won the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas 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.