Spire Motorsports Freeway Insurance 500 Race Advance

• In 31 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, Spire Motorsports has two top-10 and seven top-20 finishes. Michael McDowell owns both of the team’s top-10 finishes (eighth in 2025 and ninth in 2026). Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the Cup Series with Daniel Suárez, McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The NASCAR Cup Series will contest the seventh race of The Chase Sunday at Phoenix. Hocevar and Suárez sit 10th and 14th, respectively in the championship standings. McDowell is 20th in points following last week’s race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
• The Freeway Insurance 500 from Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, Oct. 18 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 33rd 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 sport a special Freeway Insurance livery on Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in honor of the brand’s entitlement sponsorship for Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
• Freeway Insurance was established in 1987. Freeway Insurance is one of the largest and fastest-growing personal lines insurance brokers in the United States, offering coverage through a “click, call, or come in” approach that connects customers nationwide. The company continually researches, grows, and diversifies its product offerings to stay responsive to the evolving insurance market. Freeway provides a wide range of options—from basic to premium coverage—in auto, truck, commercial vehicle, homeowners, renters, small business, motorcycle, recreational vehicle, fire, and flood insurance. In 2008, Freeway Insurance became part of Confie, the nation’s leading personal lines insurance distribution company. Customers can access Freeway Insurance through neighborhood offices, online at www.freeway.com, or by calling (800) 300-0227.
• Spire Motorsports and Daniel Suárez have agreed to a contract extension that will see the veteran driver return to the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 next season. Through 32 races, he has earned one win, three top-five, seven top-10 and 25 top-20 finishes, with an average starting position of 14.3 and an average finish of 15.2. Entering the seventh of 10 Chase races, Suárez sits 14th in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship standings with 2,152 points, 215 markers behind the leader, following last weekend’s race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
• The three-time NASCAR Cup Series winner has made 19 starts at Phoenix, earning four top-10s and nine top 20s. He holds an average starting position of 21.2 and an average finishing position of 19.1 at the one-mile track. In his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix in 2017, Suárez powered from 27th to seventh to his first career top-10 finish and post his best career Cup result at Phoenix.
• Earlier this year at Phoenix Raceway, Suárez started fourth and finished seventh in Stage 1 before his day ended on Lap 255 with heavy front-end damage sustained during a multi-vehicle accident.
• Last week at Charlotte, Suárez started 15th after inclement weather canceled Saturday’s practice and qualifying. He finished 13th in the sixth Chase race, earning his 19th top-15 finish of the season.
• The 34-year-old driver has made 355 Cup Series starts, highlighted by victories at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 2022), Atlanta Motor Speedway (February 2024) and Charlotte (May 2026). A 10-season veteran of NASCAR’s premier division, he has earned 27 top-five and 82 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut in 2017. Suárez has also led 949 laps and collected three career poles.

Daniel Suárez Quotes
You’re returning to Spire Motorsports for the 2027 season. How pumped are you to continue building with this team, and what are your expectations heading into next year?
“I’m really excited to continue with Spire Motorsports. I believe in this team and, more importantly, the people behind it. We’ve made a lot of progress this year and it’s been rewarding to see how much we’ve grown together. Making the Chase was an important milestone for us and I think it shows what we’re capable of as a team. There’s a lot of talent and determination within this organization and I truly believe in the direction we’re heading. We’ve built a strong foundation, and I’m looking forward to continuing that momentum and seeing what more we can accomplish together.”

What can you take from the spring race at Phoenix to help you this weekend?
“We had good speed here in the spring and learned a lot that we can take into this weekend. We’ll go back through our notebook, look at what worked well, and try to build on that to be even stronger this time around. We’re looking forward to having Freeway Insurance with us for the Freeway Insurance 500 and hopefully put together a solid weekend.”

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

• Ryan Sparks is the Crew Chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Sparks has called 234 Cup Series races, earning one victory, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes since keying the mic for the first time in NASCAR’s premier division in 2020.
• The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has called 12 races at Phoenix Raceway, with his highest finish coming alongside driver Justin Haley who placed 14th in November 2025.
• 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 of NASCAR’s national touring 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 Tecovas Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
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• McDowell, a native of Glendale, Ariz., has made 31 attempts in Cup Series competition at his home track, scoring back-to-back top-10 finishes twice. In the fall of 2023, spring of 2024, and most recently in the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026.
• In five NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, the veteran racer has completed 999 laps at the one-mile oval, claiming a venue-best 11th-place finish in 2009 during his time with JTG-Daugherty Racing.
• Fans will have two opportunities to meet McDowell and stock up on the latest offerings from Tecovas. Saturday at 6:30pm, McDowell will be at the Tecovas Kierland Commons location (15215 N Kierland Blvd, Suite 135B1A, Scottsdale, AZ 85254) for an autograph session. Fans at track on Sunday can meet the hometown driver at 9:35am at the Tecovas activation in the Fan Zone and enjoy custom brands for leather goods throughout the weekend.
• Last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 41-year-old driver found a home in the top 10 for a portion of the race. A corded right-front tire and contact on pit road hindered the progress of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports machine, resulting in a finish of 19th.
• Over the first 32 races of the season, the 2021 Daytona 500 Champion has led 24 laps while logging three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s recorded a 16.8 average start and a 19.2 average finish. McDowell is currently 20th in points with four races remaining on the 2026 schedule.

Michael McDowell Quote
What makes Phoenix such a dynamic track?
“I feel like Phoenix is unique in its own way. With the ability to run the dog leg, you can see five-wide restarts and different lanes which makes for fun racing. There’s also a lot of intensity being late in The Chase and the season is winding down. It is a grueling season. You get to the end, and you don’t want the last couple of races to be that gut shot where you just feel like you’ve lost steam. You want to go out with good momentum, but it is going to be different going to Arizona and not ending the season there. We have shown a lot of speed here in the last few runs with Spire Motorsports, and I am hoping we can capitalize on this weekend. We will have a lot of friends and family coming to the race, so I am excited to see them and hopefully put on a good show based on the notes we have put together earlier this year. I think finishing strong across the last few weeks is really important as we build momentum going into the 2027 season and that momentum can be huge with good runs at Phoenix and Talladega.”

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

• Travis Peterson owns four top-10 finishes in seven starts at Phoenix Raceway, all with McDowell behind the wheel.
• Peterson is a mechanical engineering graduate of the Williams States Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, earning his degree in 2012.
• Across 144 starts serving in the crew chief role, the 35-year-old has captured one win, eight poles, 10 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes.
• As a race engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, Peterson played a key role in Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s final Cup Series victory at Phoenix Raceway in November 2015.
• The West Bend, Wisc., native continued to boost the Hendrick No. 88 team as a race engineer in 2016, propelling Alex Bowman to his first-career pole award at the Avondale, Ariz., oval that fall. Bowman led 194 of the 324 laps, en route to a sixth-place finish.

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

• Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chili’s Ride the ‘DenteTM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway, the seventh of 10 races in The Chase.
• For the first time since June, it’s time to Ride the ‘DenteTM … Again’te! Hocevar’s black, white and red Chili’s® Grill & Bar design returns for the sixth time this year, featuring pepper vines crawling across the top and sides as an a homage to Chili’s founder Larry Lavine and the fashion sense he displayed in the early days of the 50-year-old restaurant brand.
• Hocevar and the No. 77 team, alongside teammate Daniel Suarez and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team, are competing for 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship honors. The opportunity marks the first appearance in The Chase for Hocevar and the first time Spire Motorsports will compete for a Cup Series title. Through six of 10 races in The Chase, the No. 77 team sits 10th in points, 24 markers behind ninth.
• Through 32 races, the Portage, Mich., native has already set career-highs in multiple categories:
• Season-to-date results – one win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• 198 laps led
• 812 points scored
• 12.1 average start
• 16.1 average finish
• The 23-year-old driver has been one of the most improved on the circuit throughout the 2026 campaign with average starting and finishing positions that have improved by over five spots compared to this point in 2025. Hocevar is on pace to best his average finish by 5.5 positions by season’s end – the second-best of all drivers – while his 10th position in points is a 13-position increase compared to the end of 2025 – the largest improvement across the field.
• The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year owns six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix, where he secured a venue-best 15th-place finish in March 2024.
• In his last five starts, Hocevar has only qualified outside the top 10 once and secured qualifying efforts of third (March 2025), sixth (November 2025) and seventh (March 2026) in the last three races in the Arizona desert. His average starting position of 5.33 during that time period is third among all drivers, and the highest without a pole position in that span.
• In the series’ first of two 2026 trips to Phoenix, the driver of the No. 77 Chevy qualified seventh but was forced to start from the tail of the field after the team discovered an alternator issue in final pre-race checks Sunday morning. Despite a hard driver to reach the top 10 early on, and maintaining that track position for much of the afternoon, handling challenges late in the event hampered Hocevar’s progress, leaving him 20th in the final scoring rundown.
• The five-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner owns five previous starts in the series at Phoenix, registering top 10s in 2021 (ninth) and 2022 (10th). Hocevar reached the series’ 2023 Championship 4 race at the facility after punching his ticket via a victory at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway two weeks prior.
• Last Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hocevar started 10th and maintained top-10 track position throughout the afternoon. He ultimately took the checkered flag 14th.
• Hocevar 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.
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Carson Hocevar Quote
Your results at Phoenix don’t reflect the speed you’ve displayed. How can that change this weekend?
“We have been fast at the flat tracks. We were pretty good at Gateway, which has similar characteristics, so we feel good about it. We have qualified really well there the last couple years, just haven’t necessarily gotten the finishes for one reason or another. Hopefully, we are up front and have an opportunity to get a good finish.”

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, nine top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in 112 races.
• The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 25 NASCAR Cup Series races at Phoenix Raceway, notching one win, three top fives and four top 10s.
• Phoenix is the site of the 43-year-old’s first-career Cup Series victory as a shot caller, guiding Ryan Newman to Victory Lane at the venue in March 2017. Lambert made the call to stay out and inherit the lead before a lone attempt at NASCAR Overtime. Newman held on to take the checkered flag, beating Kyle Larson to the finish line by 0.312 seconds. The win marked the 18th and final career victory for Newman that ended a 127-race winless streak for the legendary driver and a 112-race winless streak for Richard Childress Racing.
• The Mount Airy, N.C., native has been atop the war wagon for four NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS) races at the Avondale, Ariz., facility, earning two wins and three top-five finishes. Lambert’s first appearance in Phoenix’s Victory Lane came in March 2012 with Elliot Sadler in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The win marked his first as a crew chief, the first NOAPS win for Sadler since 2004, and the first of four for the Lambert-Sadler duo in 2012 en route to their championship runner-up effort. Lambert returned to Victory Lane with the series at the one-mile oval 10 years later with Noah Gragson in March 2022. Gragson started second and led 114 of the event’s 200 laps to earn the JR Motorsports pairing’s first of eight victories in 2022.

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’ 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.