In 16 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Kansas Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged two top-20 and six top-25 finishes with nine different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro earned a team-best 19th-place finish in the 2022 AdventHealth 400. 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 AdventHealth 400 from Kansas Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Sunday, May 5, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 12th 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 FS1 will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EDT.Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Corey LaJoie heads to Kansas Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Lajoie started 25th and finished 21st last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.
In 14 previous NCS starts at Kansas Speedway, LaJoie has logged two top-20 and eight top-25 finishes. The Concord, N.C., native recorded a 26.9 average start, a 25.1 average finish and completed 3,526 of 3,753 laps contested (94 percent).
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Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 will mark LaJoie’s 15th NCS start Kansas Speedway and 248th career NCS start.
LaJoie started 24th and raced his way to a 20th-place finish in last May’s AdventHealth 400 behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports' No. 7 Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) Chevrolet Camaro.
In addition to his extensive experience in the NCS at Kansas Speedway, LaJoie has also made one start each in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series at the 1.5-mile Kansas City (Kan.) oval.Corey LaJoie Quotes
You had a decent run last Sunday at Dover and Spire Motorsports’ intermediate-track package has been trending in the right direction. It feels like the team is making some gains as we head for Kansas Speedway.
“We’re headed to Kansas this weekend looking to make some more positive gains with our Gainbridge Chevrolet. Kansas Speedway has become one of my favorite mile-and-a-halves so this weekend is another great opportunity to create some positive momentum.”
Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Zane Smith will make his first NCS appearance at Kansas Speedway on Sunday driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports.
Smith arrives in Kansas after finishing 24th in Sunday's NCS race at Dover.
Sunday will mark the debut of Focused Health’s new blue and orange paint scheme on the No. 71 Chevrolet.
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While he’s never raced in Kansas in a Cup car, the rookie driver owns eight starts on the 1.5-mile oval in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS). His record includes a victory in 2022, 221 laps led, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Last year at Kansas, Smith finished third and fifth in the two races.
Smith will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday night’s NCTS race. It marks the 2022 series’ champion’s fourth race this year with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. He’s finished in the top-10 in all three races.
Race fans can meet Smith at the NASCAR Classics merchandise trailer for an autograph on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. CT.Zane Smith Quotes
Your primary sponsor, Focused Health, is debuting a new paint scheme this weekend. What are your thoughts on the scheme?
“I’m pumped for this new paint scheme. When I first saw the renderings, I wanted to run it as soon as possible. It is a scheme that will stand out and everyone will be able to spot easily on the track. I think a new, bright design like this is significant as we progress through the rest of the season. I’m thankful for Focused Health’s support for me and this No.71 team. I am excited to get to Kansas and show it off. Hopefully we will be at the front of the field, and everyone will see it.”
Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 will mark Carson Hocevar’s second NCS start at Kansas Speedway.
Hocevar started 20th and finished 22nd in last Sunday’s Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway.
In his lone NCS start at Kansas Speedway, Hocevar started 21st and finished 20th in last September’s Hollywood Casino 400. It was Hocevar’s third NCS race of his career.
In five NCTS starts at Kansas Speedway, Hocevar has logged a 15.8 average start, a 15.4 average finish and recorded one top-five and two top-ten finishes. The 21-year-old racer has led 60 laps and completed 91.6 percent of the laps contested at the mile-and-a-half tri-oval.
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This weekend, Spire Motorsports and the Kansas City Pioneers (KCP), a local esports organization, will collaborate to advance the relationship between real racing and iRacing through professionally created content and activations at Kansas Speedway throughout the weekend. Spire Motorsports’ drivers from the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, Casey Kirwan and Malik Ray, will join KCP's drivers, Graham Bowlin and Wyatt Tinsley, for three days of filming at the track along with behind-the-scenes segments featuring Hocevar and teammate Rajah Caruth. The sim racing drivers will also participate in activations at the NASCAR Experience in the midway of Kansas Speedway on Saturday and Sunday. These activations include coaching sessions at the iRacing sim rigs, participating in live interviews with fans and media, as well as an autograph session before the NCTS Heart of America 200.
Hocevar leads the NCS Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings and is currently 20th in the division’s championship point standings. Over the course of the season’s first 11 races, the 21-year-old has notched one top-10 and three top-15 finishes.
Hocevar will join Adam Alexander, Michael Waltrip and Phil Parsons on FS1 for Saturday’s Heart of America 200 NCTS broadcast.Carson Hocevar Quotes
Kansas is a track you’ve raced at plenty of times in your career. How are you feeling this week headed back there, this time racing full time in the Cup series for Spire Motorsports?
“I really like Kansas and it’s a lot of fun running around the top of the race track. Another mile-and-a-half, which seems to be our strong suit. I’m looking forward to racing somewhere where you can move around and try different racing grooves. It’s shaping up to be a good weekend with the 77 team.”
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