Spire Motorsports is preparing to make a significant impact in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8, 2026. With three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s entered in the race, the team seeks to improve on past performances at the one-mile oval, where it has historically struggled to break into the top ranks. The race will begin at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, airing live on FS1, with radio coverage on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Spire’s drivers Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell, and Carson Hocevar are focused on leveraging their experience and momentum to contend sharply in this fourth points event of the 36-race season.
Daniel Suárez Brings Experience and Determination to Phoenix
Daniel Suárez will drive the No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Phoenix. With 18 starts at this track, Suárez has recorded four top-10 results and maintained an average finish of 18.4. In his 2017 rookie season, Suárez astonished many by moving from 27th to seventh in only his fourth Cup start at Phoenix, securing his best finish at the track to date. Last year’s finale saw Suárez push from 14th to 19th after a hard-fought race.
This season, Suárez ranks seventh in the points standings after three races. His recent performance at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) showcased his competitive speed, as he earned eight bonus points for a Stage 2 third-place finish despite being set back by an early incident. Suárez’s strong start underlines his confidence in the Spire Motorsports program and their Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Beyond Cup Series competition, Suárez has a rich history at Phoenix, including five starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with multiple top-five finishes and his first NASCAR Truck Series win at the track in 2017 driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports. With 326 Cup starts in his career and two victories, Suárez’s experience will be key as Spire Motorsports seeks stronger results at Phoenix.
“My experience has been very good. I feel like we started off strong in Daytona and Atlanta. We have good speed and momentum. I am very pleased with Spire Motorsports. We are pushing ourselves to get better and better each week. You never know, you can work very hard, have all these meetings, communications, and chemistry, but you just never know exactly where you are going to stack up. I am impressed with the structure and speed at Spire. I was expecting to be fast, but this is faster than what I was expecting. In Daytona, I probably had the fastest superspeedway car I’ve ever been in. I still am learning the team and car, but so far to this point I am very impressed with what we are bringing to the racetrack.”
— Daniel Suárez, Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
“I have a couple of friends in the INDYCAR series — my amigo Paisano Pato, who I’ve known for over 20 years and also Scott McLaughlin. I’ll definitely be rooting for them. I think the INDYCAR Series is amazing. I really love watching those guys race. INDYCAR has a different fan base than NASCAR, which makes it great to bring families together to enjoy both series. I really enjoyed crossing over between the two at Indianapolis – it was a lot of fun – and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
— Daniel Suárez, Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Crew Chief Ryan Sparks Leading Suárez’s Charge
Ryan Sparks returns as crew chief for Daniel Suárez, bringing significant NASCAR Cup Series experience. Since his debut as a crew chief in 2020, Sparks has led teams to five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes across 205 races. He has called 11 races at Phoenix and delivered a career-best 14th-place finish in the 2025 Cup Series Championship event, guiding Justin Haley at that time. Sparks also serves as Spire’s Competition Director, shaping the technical and competitive strategies for the team. With a solid background including stints at Richard Childress Racing and involvement in championship-winning efforts, Sparks is a key figure in Spire Motorsports’ quest for success at Phoenix.
Michael McDowell Prepares for Home Track Push
Michael McDowell, driving the No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will compete on his home turf at Phoenix Raceway for the 31st time in the NASCAR Cup Series. McDowell has shown steady progress at the one-mile oval, including back-to-back top-10 finishes in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024. His eighth-place finish in the 2025 season finale marked the team’s best result there so far. Demonstrating strong speed, McDowell topped practice charts last weekend at COTA and secured a sixth-place qualifying spot, eventually finishing fifth, which was the No. 71 team’s first top-five finish of the season.
With his improved performances, McDowell climbed to ninth in the Cup Series standings, an 11-spot improvement. Known as a workmanlike racer, McDowell is determined to continue building momentum and translating promising runs into higher finishes at Phoenix.
Delaware Life, McDowell’s sponsor, is a prominent life insurance and annuity provider known for tailored financial solutions, supporting the driver’s campaign with an emphasis on stability and planning for the future.
“I feel like with Phoenix and Vegas you start to see and feel where you are as a team, because you go back-to-back on superspeedways and then a road course with Circuit of the Americas. They are all important. They all count points, but you don’t know really where you stack up on your overall program until you get through all those different types of tracks. So, building off last year, our Phoenix package was good. We finished in the top 10 last fall and we were fast. We have good notes and a good baseline going into Phoenix this weekend.”
— Michael McDowell, Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Crew Chief Travis Peterson Continues to Support McDowell’s Progress
Travis Peterson acts as crew chief for the No. 71 car and holds three top-10 finishes at Phoenix with McDowell behind the wheel. Peterson’s extensive background includes service as a race engineer at Hendrick Motorsports, where he was instrumental in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final Cup victory at Phoenix in 2015 and helped Alex Bowman secure a career-first pole at the same track in 2016. Since stepping into the crew chief role, Peterson has amassed eight top-five finishes in 116 starts, primarily with McDowell, reflecting his ability to extract strong performances at Phoenix and beyond. Peterson’s mechanical engineering education supports his technical approach to race strategy and car setup.
Carson Hocevar Set for Sixth Cup Start at Phoenix
Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 MINER Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Phoenix, marking his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at the venue. The No. 77 team holds tenth place in point standings, backed by 19 stage points earned in the season’s initial three races, demonstrating consistency with stage points in every race so far. Despite last week’s setback at COTA, Hocevar remains optimistic about upcoming events on tracks similar to Phoenix.
Hocevar’s past Phoenix performances include a strong qualifying effort of third place and a competitive pace in the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500 before an incident ended his day prematurely. With five prior NASCAR Truck Series victories and a solid history of top-10 finishes at Phoenix, Hocevar brings enthusiasm and resilience as he seeks to elevate his results in the Cup Series.
MINER Ltd., his primary sponsor, specializes in safer, more efficient loading dock solutions and commercial door services nationwide. The company supports Hocevar’s campaign with a nationwide footprint and commitment to operational excellence.
“We are right where we want to be heading into this part of the schedule. Anything can happen at Daytona and Atlanta, and road courses aren’t my favorite, but we are still 10th in points with some really good tracks coming up for us. We qualified really well with MINER at Phoenix last year, but got caught up in someone else’s mess. We excel at the 1.5-mile tracks like Vegas, and we ran in the top 10 at the Southern 500 last year. I’m excited to get into the heart of the schedule.”
— Carson Hocevar, Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Luke Lambert Provides Veteran Leadership to No. 77 Team
Luke Lambert, crew chief for Hocevar, enters his third season with Spire Motorsports and fourth working with the driver. Together, they have achieved one pole, four top-five finishes, and 16 top-10 results in 83 races. Lambert’s experience includes directing Ryan Newman to his final career victory at Phoenix in 2017. Over 16 years as a NASCAR crew chief, Lambert has managed 24 Cup Series races at Phoenix, accumulating one win, three top-five, and ten top-10 finishes, making him a valuable asset as the No. 77 team pursues strong runs at the venue.
Spire Motorsports’ Growing Presence Across NASCAR Series
Spire Motorsports fields entries in multiple NASCAR competitions, including the Cup Series, Truck Series, and the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing sprint car division. Co-owned by industry veterans Jeff Dickerson and Dan Towriss, the team claimed its first NASCAR Cup victory in 2019 when Justin Haley won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Shortly after, William Byron gave the organization its inaugural Truck Series win in 2022 at Martinsville Speedway. Most recently, Kyle Busch secured a victory for Spire at the 2026 Fr8 Racing 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In 2026, Spire continues its campaign with the Nos. 7, 71, and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and fields the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the Truck Series. The team also competes with the No. 77 410 sprint car in high-level racing. Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Spire Motorsports is rapidly expanding its competitive footprint within NASCAR’s national series.
Looking Ahead: What Spire Motorsports Fans Can Expect at Phoenix
As Spire Motorsports approaches the Phoenix race with determination and growing experience, the team aims to build on promising performances from its drivers and crew chiefs. The strong starts by Suárez, McDowell, and Hocevar in the 2026 season reflect steady progress and competitive speed on various track types. Success at Phoenix, a track that tests driver skill and team strategy on a fast, one-mile oval, could mark a pivotal milestone for Spire in the NASCAR Cup Series. Fans and enthusiasts will be keenly watching to see if the team can convert potential into breakthrough results, driving momentum as the season unfolds.
