In 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Phoenix Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-20 and two top-25 finishes with seven different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of Spire Motorsports' No. 7 Group 1001 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 earned the organization’s lone top 20 after finishing 18th on November 6, 2022 in NCS season finale. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS with LaJoie, and fellow drivers Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
The Shriners Children’s 500 from Phoenix Raceway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, March 10, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The fourth of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR RaceDay’s pre-race coverage on FOX will take the green flag at 2:30 p.m. EST.Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Corey LaJoie will make his 14th NCS start at Phoenix Raceway behind the wheel of the Group 1001 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday's Shriners Children’s 500.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Lajoie’s Group 1001 Chevrolet will feature more than 450 names of women who are employed by Group 1001. Colton Herta’s No. 26 Gainbridge entry will also showcase the same initiative this weekend at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.) NTT IndyCar Series race.
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In 13 previous starts at the one-mile, Avondale, Ariz., oval, LaJoie has an average start of 29.2, an average finish of 30.9, led 12 laps and has completed 3,149 of the 4,067 (77.4 percent) laps contested.
LaJoie earned a venue-best 18th-place finish in the 2022 NCS season finale.
Last March, LaJoie started 28th and finished 26th in the United Rentals Work United 500.
Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, LaJoie started 17th but ultimately finished 32nd. The third-generation racer was a fixture in the top 10 throughout the first two stages of the Pennzoil 400 until a late-race, on-track incident left him one lap off the pace when the checkered flag flew.
LaJoie is currently 17th in the NCS championship point standings, five points outside 15th, while just 21 markers separate him from the top 10.Corey LaJoie Quotes
It’s been a good start to the year. You’ve been competitive every week. Now, you’re headed to Phoenix and that will be the fourth different style track for the fourth week in a row. What are your thoughts as the NASCAR Cup Series heads into Round 4?
“We’ve had a pretty good run to start out the season. We’ve been competitive everywhere, so that definitely says a lot about all of our off-season preparation. Our Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has been fast every time we unload. Ryan Sparks and all my guys are working hard and they’ve hit on the right things early in the year. Confidence is high.”
“I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix this weekend and seeing what we have. We tested out there in December and learned a lot so we expect to put all that effort to good use this weekend. I’m really proud to have Group 1001 on board this weekend, to recognize Women’s History Month and carry the names of all the women they’re honoring. It’s incredible what Group 1001 is doing to elevate all the women who play key roles within the company. Pretty cool to be part of that.”
Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Zane Smith is no stranger to Phoenix Raceway where he logged a victory and three top-five finishes in four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts, and a fifth-place finish in his only NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start at the one-mile oval. Smith clinched the 2022 NCTS title with a win at Phoenix.
Smith finished 31st in his lone NCS start at Phoenix Raceway.
Smith will carry the No. 71 primary sponsor, Focused Health, Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Focused Health is a National Health Insurance agency founded by industry veterans with over 60 years combined industry experience. Primarily focused on the government programs space, Focused Health partners with payors and employers to deliver health insurance solutions for individuals and families. For more information visit AtFocusedHealth.com.
Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Smith started 24th before an early brush with the wall left him with a 36th-place finish. Smith finished eighth in the NCTS race Friday night in Las Vegas.
Sunday marks his fourth NCS start for Spire Motorsports and 13th career start in NASCAR’s premier division.
Fans can pre-order Focused Health No. 71 Zane Smith merchandise at shopzanesmith.com.Zane Smith Quotes
What are your thoughts on Phoenix this weekend?
“I’m ready to go. The last two race weekends haven’t gone our way and I’m ready to learn from that and show what the No. 71 team has to offer. Phoenix is a track I know very well, I know how to win there. So, I’m looking forward to being back at that track and competing.”
Stats show you have done super well at Phoenix Raceway in the past, does that boost your confidence going into this weekend?
“It doesn’t boost my confidence because the Cup Series is so different from the Truck Series. I know the Phoenix track well and it is a track I like to race at, so I’m excited to get there and race again, especially with this No. 71 Spire Motorsports team. My team works hard everyday to bring a fast Focused Health Chevy Camaro to the track.”
Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Carson Hocevar will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
Hocevar secured his first top 15 of the year in last Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 21-year-old racer started 14th, was consistently fast throughout the event, and came away with a respectable 15th-place finish.
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Hocevar is currently 25h in the NCS championship point standings, highest amongst the three Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year candidates.
In five previous NCTS starts at Phoenix Raceway, the Portage, Mich., native has logged two top-10 finishes.
Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 will mark Hocevar's second career NCS start at the one-mile desert oval. He qualified 22nd and finished 19th in last fall’s NCS season finale.
Hocevar’s crew chief Luke Lambert earned his first NCS race win with driver Ryan Newman in the March 19, 2017 Camping World 500 at Phoenix Raceway. In 371 races a top the pit box, Lambert has called 26 top-five and 86 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier division. Lambert also called Noah Gragson’s 2022 NXS win at the Avondale, Ariz., race course. Carson Hocevar Quotes
Last week was your first top-15 of the season. What’s your outlook heading into this week’s race at Phoenix?
“Outlook is to do just what we did last week. Control what we can control and that is bringing the best race car we can, running the best race and adapting to what’s thrown at us. I feel really confident going to Phoenix and I’m excited to get to the track.”
First short track of the season – how are you feeling coming off two super speedways and a 1.5-mile?
“Phoenix is kind of mile and a half and a short track mixed so I feel comfortable and especially with Spire being a part of the test in the winter. I think we will have another strong showing.”
As the season progresses, are there any upcoming tracks that you’re particularly excited about or anticipate will be especially challenging?
“No, not really. I feel like we really don’t have a weak part in our game yet as a driver and as a team with Luke (Lambert) and I feel comfortable going anywhere on the schedule. Excited to keep building week to week.”
From the Top of the Box
Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports competition director and crew chief for driver Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NCS.
Sparks, a Winston-Salem, N.C., native, has been paired with LaJoie since 2020.
Combined, Sparks and LaJoie have earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including a pair of top four in the 2024 Daytona 500.Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Stephen Doran begins his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team during the 2024 season.
In 2006, Doran got his start in NASCAR at Petty Enterprises.
Prior to his arrival at Spire Motorsports, Doran worked at Stewart-Haas Racing as an engineer, most recently on the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick.Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Luke Lambert is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 team with 2024 NCS Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar
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 standingsSpire Motorsports PR
