Cale Yarborough, a tenacious driver whose hard-charging style produced three NASCAR Cup Series championships, has died. He was 84. Read More Below:
Live Fast Motorsports will attempt to qualify for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 next February, BJ McLeod declared on Tuesday during a media availability. McLeod plans on entering the No. 78 car into all six of the superspeedway races in 2024. He added Live Fast could run select road course events, should it find the right driver. Josh Bilicki ran all six road courses in the No. 78 car in 2023. “We’re still going to be in Cup part time,” McLeod said. “I’m looking to run the [superspeedways] because we’re competitive there and then if we can put a driver in for the road courses. We showed great speed at the road courses this year with Josh Bilicki. He ran exceptionally well and that’s something that we’re looking forward in trying to put together. Live Fast had high expectations for the 2023 season by switching to Chevrolet and receiving support from ECR and some technical help from Richard Childress Racing. The team didn’t see the uptick in performance that it wanted and sold their charter to Matt Tifft, co-owner of Live Fast, will step away from the team and focus on opportunities to drive next year after getting back behind the wheel of a late model and being cleared to compete. “Live Fast will operate just as it has,” McLeod said. “Matt is going to move on and pursue other opportunities that he has on his side, so it will just be myself, Jessica and Joe [Falk] on the Live Fast side. Everything on the appearance side will remain the same.” -LiveFast Motorsports The 2024 Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season that also draws one of the biggest entry list of the season. The official 2024 Daytona 500 entry list doesn’t come out until a week or so before the Daytona 500 but the current list of open (non Chartered) cars continues to grow.
Confirmed Daytona 500 Open Cars, Read More:⬇️ The Money Team Racing, a NASCAR Cup Series team, co-owned by legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., is preparing to enter its third part-time season in 2024.
The No. 50 team, which is managed daily by Becky Auchmoody and her husband Willy Auchmoody, ran four races in 2022. But due to a lack of sponsorship and a focus on bringing NTT IndyCar Series regular Conor Daly to NASCAR, they only competed in two events in 2023. Nonetheless, in both seasons, the single-car effort qualified for the Daytona 500. Most recently, the team competed at Circuit of The Americas last March. The Money Team Racing, which has used ECR Engines in the past, is attempting to put together an entry for the 2024 Daytona 500, but nothing is finalized ahead of the new year. The team’s 2022 debut with Kaz Grala came together only 36 days before the team left for Speedweeks. The team’s goal is to enter five to eight races in 2024, followed by the lofty goal of fielding a full-time effort with or without a charter in 2025. -Forbes Valvoline will be the primary sponsor for Kyle Larson in three races (Phoenix, Sonoma and the Chicago Street Race) for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Valvoline will be the primary sponsor for William Byron in two races (Nashville and the Charlotte ROVAL) for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. The company is also the Official Lubricants Partner of Hendrick Motorsports and a major associate sponsor for all four Cup teams. Hendrick Motorsports
Kaulig Racing has announced that AJ Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 Chevy for the team in the Daytona 500. It was recently announced that AJ Allmendinger, will go back to full-time Xfinity Series in 2024 and run for a championship in Kaulig's No. 16. Allmendinger will be marking his 11th Daytona 500 start.
Lucas Oil Products Expands Relationship with Richard Childress Racing and Kyle Busch in 202412/19/2023
Stewart-Hass Racing has announced their Cup Series Spotters for the 2024 season.
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season will see a pair of new looks for William Byron on the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevy and the No. 24 Axalta Chevy.
Stewart-Haas Racing has signed driver Noah Gragson to a multiyear agreement that will see the 25-year-old Las Vegas native pilot the team’s No. 10 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2024.
NASCAR officials reinstated Cup Series driver Cody Ware on Tuesday.
Ware had been suspended indefinitely by the sanctioning body on April 10 after the 28-year-old (then 27) was arrested by the Iredell County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office on a felony charge of “assault by strangulation — inflict serious injury” and a misdemeanor charge of “assault on female.” The charges have since been dropped. Ware made seven Cup Series starts to begin 2023 behind the wheel of the No. 51 for Rick Ware Racing – the Cup Series team owned by his father – before being vacated from the seat and missing the rest of the season. Several drivers filled in for Ware in the No. 51 the rest of the year, including seven from Cup veteran Ryan Newman. Ware has raced in the Cup Series since 2017. His best finish in 97 career starts is sixth place in August 2022 at Daytona International Speedway. -NASCAR
Press Release:
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ has signed Jason Burdett as crew chief of the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE driven by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson in 2024. Burdett brings with him almost three decades of experience working with powerhouse teams and championship-winning drivers at NASCAR’s highest level. Burdett’s racing journey began at local tracks near Watkins Glen, N.Y. In 1995, he moved to North Carolina to work at Robert Yates Racing as a tire specialist. Burdett was an integral member of Dale Jarrett’s 1999 Cup Series championship-winning team. In 2001, Burdett moved over to Hendrick Motorsports and won the 2001 championship with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team led by crew chief Robbie Loomis. Burdett and LEGACY M.C. co-owner Johnson started working together in 2001 as the No. 48 team began to take shape. The “24/48” shop at Hendrick Motorsports operated under a “one team” philosophy which was started by crew chiefs Ray Evernham, Loomis and Chad Knaus. In 2007, Gordon and Johnson together dominated the competition, combining for 18 wins (out of 36) in a single season. Opportunity struck in late 2007, as Burdett joined Michael Waltrip Racing, and reunited with Jarrett – but this time as his crew chief. He returned to Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 as the car chief on the No. 24 team alongside crew chief Steve Letarte. In 2011 Burdett moved with Letarte over to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s No. 88 team until 2014. Once again, Burdett was an integral member of the team that propelled Johnson to win the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013 NASCAR Cup Series championships. After the 2014 season, Burdett accepted a crew chief position in the Xfinity Series at JR Motorsports (JRM) with driver Regan Smith. He spent nine seasons at JRM – one with Smith, seven seasons with driver Justin Allgaier, and one with Brandon Jones. Through his tenure at JRM, Burdett called 293 races compiling 18 wins, 113 top-five, and 193 top-10 finishes. The 18 victories made Burdett the winningest crew chief in JRM history, leading his team to the “Championship 4” five times. “I have a very long history of working with Jason at Hendrick Motorsports – we spent a lot of time together throughout the years,” said Johnson. “Jason is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the sport, he’s solid and he’s created an amazing LEGACY for himself. I’ve always had a great working relationship with him, and I’m just genuinely excited he has joined the Club.” Although Johnson’s schedule is limited, Burdett’s role will be full-time with LEGACY M.C., as the Club is transitioning manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota and his experience will be welcomed. Additionally, two more key roles on the No. 84 have been assigned as Evan Bensch will now serve as lead engineer (moving over from his engineering role on the No. 43 team) and Robbie Fairweather is returning for a second season as car chief. “Jason comes to LEGACY M.C. at a great time,” said Joey Cohen, vice president, race operations. “Not only is he a perfect fit to lead our 84 team with JJ and their past experiences, but he also will help tremendously in the operational transition to Toyota and greatly assist the crew chiefs on the Nos. 42 and 43 teams. We are excited for Jason to begin his LEGACY and continue his winning ways with our Club. Additionally, Evan and Robbie bring consistency and experience to the Club and they will work great alongside Jason.” “I'm excited to join LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and reunite with Jimmie,” said Burdett. “I was part of Jimmie’s team when it all began and witnessed his first win in 2002. I am amazed at the LEGACY Jimmie has created throughout the years, and I am honored to be a part of continuing that LEGACY with him. Partnering with Toyota and their successful history in motorsports is remarkable for our organization. I am dedicated to maximizing our success at the racetrack, to accomplish Cup Series win No. 84 with the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE and write a new chapter in our LEGACY.” To date, just three of Johnson’s 2024 races have been announced. AdventHealth will be the primary partner on the No. 84 at Texas Motor Speedway, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600), and Kansas Speedway in May. LEGACY M.C. plans to announce the full schedule for Johnson in early 2024. -Legacy Motor Club
Global apparel brand Castore has joined Hendrick Motorsports as its official performance sportswear and at-track teamwear provider. Beginning in 2024, the winningest organization in NASCAR Cup Series history will be clothed by Castore throughout race weekends. In addition, the team’s elite pit crew athletes will be outfitted exclusively in Castore’s premium performance sportswear.
Running through 2028, the new partnership with Castore will for the first time make Hendrick Motorsports replica kits – mirroring what team members wear at the track – available to fans. Licensed Castore products are now available for pre-order exclusively via the Hendrick Motorsports online store. In 2024, other official channels will offer the new line, including Castore.com, trackside merchandise transporters and the team’s brick-and-mortar store in Concord, North Carolina. Replica kits will include stylized car numbers and feature sponsor-specific branding and colors. “Like Hendrick Motorsports, Castore is a brand that never stops innovating and is constantly seeking ways to make its athletes better,” said Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. “With their commitment to elite quality and utilizing advanced engineering to develop products, we see many commonalties between our two organizations. As Hendrick Motorsports enters our 40th anniversary season, we look forward to working with Castore to elevate the look and performance of our track apparel and the sportswear used by our pit crews. Our fans have been asking for official team kits, and we’re excited to offer them for the very first time.” Castore’s partnership with Hendrick Motorsports represents its first in NASCAR and most high-profile to date in the U.S. market. The brand has worldwide relationships in Formula 1, INDYCAR, soccer, tennis and a variety of other sports. Castore’s focus on auto racing highlights shared values of constant development, engineering and material exploration alongside human performance. “We are beyond delighted to announce our partnership with Hendrick Motorsports,” said Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore. “The team not only has a constant ambition to be the best, but they also match our own desires to challenge sports at the elite level through technical perseverance. Castore is developing an ever-growing presence within motor sports, partnering with some of the highest-profile teams across the world. We are incredibly proud to partner with another hugely successful team and our first in NASCAR. Hendrick Motorsports has an outstanding history within an extremely competitive sport, and we’re looking forward to playing a part in the brand’s next chapter.” The new Castore look for all four Hendrick Motorsports teams will debut Feb. 4 with the Clash at The Coliseum exhibition race in Los Angeles. NASCAR’s regular season will then kick off with the running of the DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 18. Both events will be broadcast live on FOX. -Hendrick Motorsports Press Release:
Today, Zeigler Auto Group held a press conference at Zeigler Motorsports to announce it will sponsor Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with Michigan native Carson Hocevar handling the driving chores in nine NASCAR Cup Series races, beginning with the 66th running of the Daytona 500. Zeigler.com and Zeigler Auto Group will be showcased as the team’s primary sponsor in seven NCS races and co-primary sponsor in two events in 2024. “We are excited to partner once again with Spire Motorsports for 2024. We know Carson will do a phenomenal job representing Zeigler Auto Group on and off the track. Having Carson behind the wheel of the new Zeigler.com No. 77 Camaro was a perfect fit with him being from Michigan, our home state for Zeigler,” said Aaron J. Zeigler, president and CEO of Zeigler Auto Group and Zeigler Racing. The easily recognized yellow and black Zeigler paint scheme will be featured aboard Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevy Camaro at the following NCS races in 2023:
Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and majority of the imported manufacturers. The family-owned and -operated organization has been a regular on the NCS tour since 2019, previously partnering with Spire Motorsports and the No. 77 team for 15 races in 2022. Hocevar, 20, is a Portage, Mich., native and four-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race winner. He made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports June 4 at World Wide Technology Raceway and has since competed eight more times in NASCAR’s premier division. He earned an impressive career/series best 11th-place finish at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in just his fourth start. He earned a berth in the 2023 NCTS Championship 4 and ultimately finished fourth in the season-ending point standings. “It’s pretty exciting to be able to partner with Zeigler Auto Group and be able to show some hometown pride in 2024,” said Hocevar. “It’s a dream come true for a kid from Michigan to be supported and sponsored by a company from Kalamazoo. I grew up in Portage, just a few miles south of Zeigler’s headquarters, so that makes the partnership personal. I can’t thank Aaron Zeigler enough for the opportunity and for taking a chance on me. We’re going to do our very best to make everyone from Zeigler proud.” In addition to his NCS debut, Hocevar made four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Spire Motorsports in 2023, with a pair of top-10 finishes coming in May at Darlington Raceway (sixth) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth). “This is a big moment for Spire Motorsports and Carson Hocevar,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “It’s important to have partners that can identify with their driver and vice versa. I think we’ve found exactly that. It feels like the perfect match. I got to know Aaron Zeigler and his team when we worked together in 2022 and we’ve become great friends. They see the same potential in Carson that we do.” The 66th running of the Daytona 500 will be televised live on FOX, Sunday, February 18 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. -Spire Motorsports Kelley Blue Book will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy of Chase Elliot at the March 10th NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway as well as Talladega Superspeedway on October 6th. Photos by: Hendrick Motorsports
With six wins under his belt from a breakout year in 2023, NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron carries more momentum than ever before into the 2024 season. Byron, the 26-year-old native of Charlotte, N.C., who is pursuing his B.S. in Strategic Communication through Liberty University’s Online Programs, qualified for the Championship 4 final for the first time on Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway, landing in third-place in the final points standings after the 10-race playoffs. His fourth-place finish in Phoenix was his career-best 15th top-five performance of the season and his 21st top-10 showing. “Just trusting our process,” Byron said of his career-best season in the Cup Series. “As a team, we gained confidence, and we have a great group. We worked hard together, and we have all the tools and resources from Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports to do our jobs. We went out there and were able to capitalize on a lot of things. I enjoyed it, but at the same time (I am) hungry for a lot more.” Liberty has sponsored Byron since 2014; the university was the primary sponsor for the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for 13 of the 38 Cup Series races this past season, including two in the playoffs. For the 2024 season, Liberty will serve as a primary sponsor of the No. 24 car for 12 events, including two playoff races. The paint scheme for races spotlighting Liberty will remain unchanged from 2023 to the 2024 season, when Byron will represent the university for the opening event known as The Clash, an exhibition race featuring stars of the NASCAR Cup Series, at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 4. (That is two weeks before the official season-opening race, the Daytona 500.) Byron will don the Liberty logo again for two early-season races in Virginia, at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17 and Richmond Raceway on March 31. Then, on April 14, the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will head to Texas Motor Speedway — where Byron is the defending champion after capturing his first checkered flag in a playoff race in September — for the first of three consecutive races with Liberty as primary sponsor. On April 21, Byron will race with the red, white, and blue color scheme again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway before taking the No. 24 on to Dover (Del.) Speedway on April 28. Byron will have a special patriotic paint scheme at his home track of Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26 for the annual 600 Miles of Remembrance race held over Memorial Day Weekend. The rest of the schedule with Liberty as primary sponsor includes: Iowa Speedway on June 16; Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 24; Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sept. 1 (where Byron captured the checkered flag in May); Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Raceway on Sept. 15 (where he won in August); and finally back in Virginia at Martinsville Speedway on Nov. 3, the penultimate playoff race before the Championship 4 in Phoenix. -Liberty University
Press Release:
Team Penske and Hunt Brothers® Pizza today announced a new multi-year partnership that will feature the leading convenience store pizza brand on the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang driven by two-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Champion Joey Logano for select races beginning in 2024. Hunt Brothers Pizza will also be an associate sponsor on defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang for the 2024 season. “With their long history of commitment towards winning in NASCAR, we welcome Hunt Brothers Pizza to our Team,” said Team Penske President Tim Cindric. “As they continue to utilize motorsports to promote their brand, we are really excited to have them on board as we work with them to carry that tradition forward.” Since its founding in 1991, the family owned and operated company has grown to over 9,000 locations across 32 states while staying committed to providing top quality ingredients and exceptional flavor. Hunt Brothers Pizza represents a legacy in the convenience store industry with its team of pizza professionals supporting store partners nationwide to provide the best pizza in towns across the United States. The new partnership with Team Penske will add to the history and heritage of Hunt Brothers Pizza in NASCAR racing. The 2024 season represents the 17th year that Hunt Brothers Pizza will serve as a committt and dedicated team partner in the NASCAR Cup Series.“We are thrilled to team up with Joey Logano and Team Penske, a winning team and driver who both share our company’s values and commitment to being the best in our respective industries,” said Scott Hunt, CEO of Hunt Brothers Pizza. “NASCAR continues to be a popular sport among convenience store customers, and we look forward to continuing to engage fans and provide additional marketing value for our convenience store partners in the years to come.” Hunt Brothers Pizza will partner with Logano as he begins his 16th season in the Cup Series with the veteran driver racing for his third career NCS title in 2024. Following his 2022 NCS championship season, Logano produced the 32nd win of his distinguished career in 2023 with his first-ever victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The win extended Logano’s streak to 12 consecutive seasons with at least one Cup Series victory as he raced his way into the NCS Playoffs for the 10th time in 15 seasons. “We’re excited and honored to bring Hunt Brothers Pizza on board next season,” said Logano. “Their commitment to excellence both on the track and in the marketplace – in addition to their longstanding support of motorsports – makes Hunt Brothers Pizza a perfect fit at Team Penske. I look forward to racing the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang in 2024 and we hope to see those popular red and green colors in Victory Lane next season.” The 2024 NCS season begins on Sunday, February 4 with the Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum as the West Coast exhibition race opens the series schedule for the third-consecutive year. The 66th running of the Daytona 500 will be held on Sunday, February 18. The specific races where Logano will drive the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford in 2024 will be announced at a later date. -Team Penske
On Friday December 8th ally in collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports announced the No 48 ally paint scheme for the 2024 Cup Series season.
The two-day, six-team exhibition ran through multiple aerodynamic configurations and Goodyear tire combinations, focusing on the racing on short tracks in the upcoming season. While no immediate determinations were made on-site as to what combinations may end up on the Next Gen vehicles in a couple of months, progress was made to help add clarity to the picture.
“I think our goal is to have some direction coming out of here,” Dr. Eric Jacuzzi, NASCAR’s vice president of vehicle performance, told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve never gone to a test and walked out like, ‘Oh my god, this is great. This is what we’re doing.’ It’s a tough thing to do, right? It’s only six cars and there’s no money and points on the line. But I think for us, it’s coming out of here with direction on the tire, coming out with direction on the aero package that, yes, this is going to be neutral to positive. And then any other things that we’ve learned along the way. And then (Wednesday), we’ll be running mufflers, so making sure (when) we go to LA, we’re not going to have anything unexpected.” The aerodynamic changes included a new splitter design in addition to a diffuser with two aluminum rakes, all implemented in hopes of reducing the effect of dirty air on vehicles in traffic. Those adjustments were met with positive feedback, notably from defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, who returned to the site where he was coronated just one month earlier. “Yeah, a big difference,” Blaney said Tuesday. “We unloaded exactly how we were here in the fall with this car, ran a couple hours on it and the different splitter, big difference. Massive. Like the way it drives. With that, there’s so much downforce taken off of it. Yeah, the first laps I had, I was like, man, this thing drives way different. “It should. I mean, it’s a massive aero loss when you do that. And then the simple diffuser wasn’t as big of a change as the splitter, but it was still something to feel. But that front splitter was a huge change, and hopefully we can continue to tweak it a little bit, get it a little better.” That feedback was notably different from a summer test at Richmond Raceway, where the introduction of a “lift splitter” was met with sentiment that “it wasn’t quite enough” change. Testing at Phoenix left officials more optimistic. “When we came out of Richmond and were changing aero packages, they felt the same. We could have told them it was the same (package),” Jacuzzi said. “And today, everybody said I definitely noticed the downforce. Like I said, we got some interesting comments to kind of parse through of it was easier to cross the wake or different things. So it seemed like definitely the faster speeds here manifested more of what we expected at Richmond. Again, ultimately, Richmond wasn’t really where we wanted to do that test, but (a rainout at) New Hampshire happened. So it’s definitely a difference. Nobody’s saying, ‘Hey, I didn’t notice your aero package.’ “ Most positive reactions seemed to stem from the different tire combinations Goodyear provided. According to RFK Racing, Chris Buescher went through 24 different sets of tires on the No. 17 Ford over the two-day session. Goodyear aimed to bring tires with thicker treading, similar to what was utilized at Martinsville and which was received well. “Tire stuff was really good,” Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club said. “I thought we learned a lot with that in the beginning of the day. I think Goodyear’s got some good notes from that and probably is gonna apply to a lot of places. “This isn’t really a tire test, but of all the tires I’ve tested over my career, by far probably today was the biggest I’ve noticed a difference.” NASCAR additionally tested new ductwork to aid cooling using the existing muffler, which have previously been used to lower decibel levels at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Chicago Street Course. “I haven’t felt, really, a heat difference. I could definitely tell a sound difference, which I like,” said Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and a winner at Phoenix. “I definitely think our race cars are way too loud — and probably are still too loud with the mufflers. … I think the cars could be quieter to help the fan experience.” Plans to test gearbox changes intended to address limiting shifting at short tracks were scrapped Wednesday after feedback from a driver debrief signified shifting was less of a concern at Phoenix, therefore resulting in a pivot toward higher focus on aerodynamics and tires instead. Drivers also pondered after Day 1 how the car would react using the 2023 splitter in addition to the new simplified diffuser, leading to on-track tests Wednesday after officials performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testing overnight to eliminate issues with spoiler heights and imbalances. NASCAR held a similar test session in late January at Phoenix, nearly 11 months ago — six teams set to test different aerodynamic configurations and mufflers. Moving the test to early December provided a longer runway for more meaningful evaluation before jumping into the 2024 season headfirst. “Especially with The Clash being essentially at the end of January, it wasn’t ideal last year for us to be doing the muffler work,” Jacuzzi said. “We had basically a week, so we weren’t gonna have a ton of time. We did actually respond and do a bunch of cooling stuff before The Clash. This, we figure, would give us more time to process things, and it gives us more time to look at the short-track package next year and what we’re going to do. So it’s really just to get it done early and not waste a month.” The new year gets underway with the exhibition Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 4 on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. -NASCAR Press Release:
Spire Motorsports has filled out its NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) crew chief lineup as preparations for the 2024 season continue to accelerate. Stephen Doran and Luke Lambert have been named as the crew chiefs for the team’s Nos. 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s, respectively. Doran will guide the effort for 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) Champion Zane Smith while Lambert will serve as crew chief for standout Carson Hocevar. “Stephen Doran and Luke Lambert are veterans of the sport, exemplary individuals and we’re thrilled to welcome them both to Spire Motorsports,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Stephen is an accomplished racer who earned this position through practical knowledge, hard work and success. He’s been part of championship-caliber teams in the past and we’re confident that he’ll play a significant role in helping Spire Motorsports continue to raise our competitive bar. Luke Lambert is a complete professional and highly regarded competitor who has worked with Carson in the past. His demeanor and ability to connect with his drivers is what makes him a perfect fit. He has worked directly with Ryan Sparks previously, so that points directly to the synergy we’re looking for amongst our competition group.” This marks Doran’s first opportunity as a Cup Series crew chief and said he is already impressed with the 24-year-old Smith. “I didn’t know Zane personally, but when I started to go through his career, I noticed he’s consistently won in everything he’s raced and made the most of every opportunity he’s had along the way,” said Doran. “Zane and I have talked a lot lately and I think this is going to be a great fit. Our personalities mesh well and I think communication will be great on and off the track. I knew right away in our first meeting that he was the guy I wanted to do this with. He has all the intangibles that make an elite driver in the Cup Series. I am grateful for this opportunity and think Zane and this No. 71 team will create a lot of excitement and turn some heads in 2024.” Smith is a nine-time NCTS race winner who completed his fourth full-time season this year. He has also run nine NCS races over the last two seasons, highlighted by a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May. Doran made the move from Butler, Pa., to Level Cross, N.C., in 2006 to start his NASCAR career at Petty Enterprises. Since 2012, the 38-year-old Doran has worked at Stewart-Haas Racing and has been on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick since 2014. The No. 71 team is a collaboration between Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing for the 2024 campaign. In September, Trackhouse announced a multi-year driving agreement with Smith and its aim to run three full-time NCS entries in 2025. Lambert, a native of Mount Airy, N.C., comes to Spire Motorsports from Legacy Motor Club where he guided the team’s No. 42 NCS effort, connecting with Hocevar when he drove for the team in eight of the final 10 races of 2023. Prior to his time at Legacy M.C., Lambert made his mark in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, leading Noah Gragson and JR Motorsports’ No 9 team to three poles, eight wins, 21 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in 2022. Lambert, 41, has also spent time a top the pit box at Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing. The 2005 North Carolina State graduate has led the competition efforts for some of the sport’s most notable names including Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Chris Buescher. In 2014, Lambert led Newman to a berth in the Championship 4, and ultimately a runner-up finish in the NCS championship point standings. Hocevar, 20, made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports June 4 at World Wide Technology Raceway and has made eight more starts in NASCAR’s premier division. He earned an impressive career/series best 11th-place finish at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in just his fourth start. He is a four-time NCTS race winner and a standout at every level in which he’s competed. “I’m thrilled to join the men and women at Spire Motorsports and be part of everything they’re building,” said Lambert. “Carson Hocevar has shown tremendous potential and that was apparent during our time together last year. He knows how to get the most out of his race car and how to communicate effectively with his team. I’m looking forward to working with him again in this new capacity and building on our experience with one another.” -Spire Motorsports
RFK Racing announces Fastenal's Body Guard brand will be on board the No. 6 Ford of Brad Keselowski for two races in 2024, Martinsville Speedway-Spring and The Brickyard (Indianapolis Motor Speedway).
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