MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 10, 2024) – Mattress Warehouse, in collaboration with MOLECULE bedding, will serve as the primary sponsor of Spire Motorsports’ Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s at Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway during the first round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs.

Mattress Warehouse is the No. 1 independently-owned American mattress retailer with stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

NCS Rookie of the Year contender Carson Hocevar will showcase the Mattress Warehouse livery aboard his No. 77 Chevy in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen while Corey LaJoie will carry the same colors on his No. 7 Camaro next weekend for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Spire Motorsports, in collaboration with MOLECULE bedding,” said Tracy Jones, Chief Marketing Officer of Mattress Warehouse. “This partnership goes beyond just increasing our visibility – it’s about connecting with the passionate NASCAR fan base who value quality and performance both on and off the track. We’re eager to bring our commitment to better sleep to this community, understanding that being at your best every day starts with a good night’s rest.”

Hocevar, 21, currently ranks 22nd in the NASCAR Cup Series championship point standings and leads the division’s rookie of the year contest. Over the course of the season’s first 27 races, Hocevar has notched four top-10 and nine top-15 finishes.

Meanwhile, LaJoie kicked off the 2024 campaign with a fourth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 and has turned in two top-10, six top-15 and 10 top-20 finishes over the same stretch.

Mattress Warehouse will ramp up its presence by featuring LaJoie and Hocevar in its latest commercial spots, focusing on a commitment to quality sleep through its collaboration with MOLECULE, a mattress brand trusted by athletes and scientifically designed for peak performance.

LaJoie’s spot captures him reminiscing about the childhood dream of owning a race car bed—a memory that filled him with excitement. With a smile and a nudge from the Mattress Warehouse sales associate, the third-generation racer admits it’s time for an upgrade and ultimately chooses a MOLECULE mattress.

Hocevar makes his commercial debut with Mattress Warehouse by proudly reflecting on what it means to drive the No. 77 Chevy Camaro and, to be the best version of himself, he knows that a good night’s sleep is key.

In a second spot, Carson and his crew chief Luke Lambert dive into the precision required in racing, sharing how every detail of a driver’s training regimen must be perfectly tuned.

“Spire Motorsports is thrilled to have Mattress Warehouse and MOLECULE bedding come on board for the next two races and to showcase those brands during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs,” said Todd Mackin, President of Spire Holdings, Spire Motorsports’ parent company. “It’s an exciting time for Spire Motorsports. We’re proud to introduce both brands to our race team and the NASCAR audience. Both Carson and Corey had a great time shooting the commercial spots and Carson’s crew chief Luke Lambert even got in on the action. The lead up has been a lot of fun and the cars look awesome. The icing on the cake will be seeing the cars on track at Watkins Glen and Bristol Motor Speedway.”

The Go Bowling at the Glen from Watkins Glen International will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, Sept. 15, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 28th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on USA will take the green flag at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

About Mattress Warehouse …
Serving customers for 35 years, the Mattress Warehouse mission is clear: Improving lives through quality sleep. This is achieved by combining cutting edge technology with the expertise of highly trained sleep professionals, ensuring that every guest finds the perfect fit for their needs. With a commitment to offering the widest assortment of quality brands at unbeatable prices, Mattress Warehouse guests can rest assured that they’ve made a wise investment in their health and well-being.

About MOLECULE …
MOLECULE engineers cutting-edge sleep solutions that support active lifestyles with deep sleep recovery. Team MOLECULE includes renowned sleep doctors and neurologists, who possess decades of research and experience to help guide development of mattresses, toppers and pillows. Elite athletes like Michael Phelps trust MOLECULE to help them achieve peak performance.

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 campaigns 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 also fields 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 drives the No. 71 entry and Chase Purdy rounds out the team’s fleet of Silverados 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.

NOAH GRAGSON
Watkins Glen Advance
No. 10 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 28 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 15
● Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
● Layout: 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 20 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The Go Bowling at The Glen Sunday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International is the fourth of five road-course races on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 10 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, finished 34th in the series’ first road-course race of the year March 24 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. He then placed 26th in the series’ second road-course stop June 9 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. In his most recent road-course start on the streets of downtown Chicago for the July 7 Grant Park 165, Gragson finished 14th. After Watkins Glen, the final road-course race of the year takes place Oct. 12 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval.

● The Go Bowling at The Glen will be Gragson’s first NASCAR Cup Series start at the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course in Upstate New York, but that doesn’t mean the 26-year-old racer from Las Vegas isn’t familiar with its undulating layout. Gragson has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen and finished among the top-10 each time, with his best result coming in his most recent drive at the track – a fourth-place finish in 2022.

● Gragson also has three NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at Watkins Glen, with his best effort coming in his debut at the track – eighth in the 2015 Bully Hill Vineyards 125.

● Across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Gragson has made a total of 41 road-course starts – six in Cup, 21 in Xfinity, two in Trucks, two in ARCA and 10 in K&N – amassing four wins, 16 top-fives and 27 top-10s with 167 laps led.

● Gragson’s four road-course wins all came in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, and three were earned in a one-week stretch in September 2016. Gragson swept a pair of K&N Series West races at the Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, beating Todd Gilliland on Sept. 10 and then besting him again on Sept. 11 when Gragson took the lead from Gilliland on the last lap. Six days and 2,219 miles later at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, Gragson scored his third straight road-course win, this time in the K&N Series East where he beat Justin Haley. Gragson’s fourth and most recent road-course win was earned in the 2019 K&N Series West race at Sonoma.

● Compared to the other road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Watkins Glen is a power track – less finesse, more get-on-the-gas-and-go. Here’s a turn-by-turn explanation of the 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course that is Watkins Glen.

●  Turn 1: Once drivers take the green flag, they are immediately faced with a downhill trek into the first corner. Carrying a ton of speed down the straightaway, this is a heavy braking zone in order to get the car slowed down enough to make the right-hand turn. This is one of the best opportunities to make a pass, and this turn can get chaotic very quickly, especially on restarts.



​●  Turn 2: After making it through the first turn, the drivers hop on a short straight which leads them gradually uphill and into the second right-hand corner. This turn begins the ascent through the “esses” portion of the track.



​●  Turn 3: Continuing the uphill climb through the esses, this sweeping left-hander can be treacherous as drivers begin to carry more speed up the slope.



​●  Turn 4: This corner is the final portion of the esses. Drivers complete the uphill climb and the corner starts to level off, building up more speed as they enter the backstretch of the circuit.



​●  Inner Loop, aka the “Bus Stop”: The backstretch allows the drivers to gain a ton of momentum, which leads them into another heavy braking zone and into the inner loop, better known as the “bus stop” section of the course. Hot on the brakes upon entry, this is a great place to overtake someone before making a quick series of right- and left-hand turns. Lots of slipping, sliding and spinning happens here.



​●  Turn 5, aka the “Carousel”: This is a long, sweeping right-hander. Banked at 10 degrees, it is the steepest turn of the course, and it allows drivers to build up speed as they make their way onto the straightaway leading into turn six.



​●  Turn 6: After gaining speed while traveling down the 2,040-foot chute, drivers are approached with another heavy braking zone at the entrance of this left-hand corner. Competitors use this turn to either make a quick pass or to set themselves up for a pass heading into the final corner.



​●  Turn 7: Once they are through turn six, a short chute gives the drivers just enough time to adjust to make a good angle through the final corner. This is another chance to make a quality pass as the right-hand bend trickles drivers onto the frontstretch and down to the start-finish line.

● Bed Bath & Beyond adorns Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at The Glen. The partnership celebrates Bed Bath & Beyond as the ultimate online destination for home essentials, featuring an unmatched assortment for every room of the house. Whether it’s your kitchen, bedroom, outdoor space or bathroom, Bed Bath & Beyond has what you need to create a space that feels uniquely yours. From cookware and bedding to bath accessories and beyond, Bed Bath & Beyond is your go-to source for functional and stylish home essentials.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Bed Bath & Beyond Ford Mustang Dark Horse

How would you rate yourself as a road-course driver?

“I would probably rate myself, on a scale of 1-10, as a seven on road courses. Not terrible, but always trying to improve. I felt like I picked up road-course racing pretty well and had a lot of success in the Legend Car ranks and Bandoleros, and then moving on up into the K&N Series, I ran really well. I had opportunities to win some Truck races, ran in the top-five a lot and led laps in the Xfinity Series, but never got a win in either Trucks or Xfinity, but was always a contender. But then in the Cup Series, man, it’s challenging, everybody’s good. You used to have the road-course ringers, but now, not so much. I used to take a lot more pride in my road-course efforts coming up through the ranks, but now everybody’s so super good that I’m probably an average guy. I don’t think I’m terrible at it, but I’m not elite at it, either.”

Some guys like road courses, others don’t. Where do you stand when it comes to competing on road courses?

“We used to just have two or three, or maybe only one on the Truck schedule, and my thinking was, ‘Oh man, this’ll be cool, I’ll get to do something different.’ Now there are five road courses – at one point, there were seven on the schedule – so it’s a big chunk of our season. You have to be good at it, but I’d also say it’s just another race where you have to carry the same amount of intensity. It felt a little more unique and special when there was just a limited number of road courses.”

Six Cup Series starts on road courses and 21 road-course starts in Xfinity, where you finished among the top-five nearly 50 percent of the time, and top-10 all but three times. You’ve had success on road courses, but what makes success on road courses at the Cup level so much harder?

“Cup cars are definitely a lot different to drive than Trucks, Xfinity cars and K&N cars. They’re more like a sports car with the independent rear suspension, so just trying to figure that out – my first-ever road-course race in a Cup car came at the Roval in 2022 and the shifting, everything, is just a little bit different than what you’re used to. The brakes are massive, you can really push the braking zones, and you’re just hustling the car all the way around the racetrack. You can’t hit curbs as much because of the shock limiters where you used to just motor over curbs. They’re a lot more aggressive with the front steering, so you can maneuver very well with these cars, and they respond very well. It’s kind of a mix between an F1 car and one of the old stock cars like the Gen 6 stock car with how you get around these tracks. But with that being said, it’s been a little bit of a change of pace, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

What do you work on to become a better road-course racer?

“I think just constant reps in the sim has been the best for me. I’ve also worked with Carter Fartuch, who’s been a road-course instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School at COTA. Been there for two years now, got a lot of help from him, he’s been a big part of our road-course program the last two years, so that was really good and I appreciate his knowledge. On top of that, just a lot of laps in the simulator seeing where you can try different things and improve your times.”

The current Cup cars seem exceptionally suited to road-course racing to where they’re forgiving and drivers aren’t penalized for mistakes. Because of that, it seems like there’s more rooting and gouging out on the racetrack than ever before. What’s your take?

“I don’t know if it’s harder to pass, but everyone’s really, really close on their lap times, so the final restarts are just chaos. You’ve got to screw the other guy before he screws you on a restart. If you spin him out, so be it, or else you’re going to be the one being spun out. It makes it exciting for the fans, I can say that.”

With track position at such a premium on road courses, can you afford to be nice, or do you need to have a selfish and unforgiving attitude?

“I definitely think it ramps up late in the race. You let guys go in certain areas, like if it’s the middle of the race and there’s no point in abusing your stuff, especially if you’re not the leader or going for the lead, there’s no point. I always felt like there’s time lost to the leader when you’re battling a guy, you’re just slowing each other down. You’re not going to get lapped, but you’re still slowing each other down. If he runs you down, just point him by and let him go because you’re only losing time to the leader.”

How important is qualifying at road courses? Has it become a bit like Formula One where track position is so precious that in order to finish up front, you really need to start up front?

“Absolutely. It’s really hard to pass. Everybody is so close on speed, especially in the Cup Series. With this NextGen car on these road courses, it definitely is somewhat like Formula One, where the winner’s probably going to come from the top-five unless there’s somebody absolutely elite and they messed up their qualifying lap and start deeper in the field. But everyone’s so close that it’s really hard to find that advantage, so between strategy and starting up front, that’s where these races are won.”

No. 10 Bed Bath & Beyond Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Beau Whitley

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Tire Specialist: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steve Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia