In 19 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-20 and five top-25 finishes with 10 different drivers. Carson Hocevar earned a team-best 17th-place finish in this season’s first stop for the Cup Series at the famed half-mile paved oval. The Mooresville, N.C., team fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s on NASCAR’s senior circuit with Justin Haley, Zane Smith and Hocevar, respectively.
The Xfinity 500 from Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on NBC Sunday, Nov. 3 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The penultimate race of the 2024 Cup Series season will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on NBC will take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. EST.Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 OpTic Gaming/Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
The Winamac, Ind., racer has recorded seven Cup Series starts at Martinsville and calls an eighth-place NASCAR Xfinity Series finish a career best at the famed Virginia oval. Sunday’s race at Martinsville will mark Haley’s 143rd career start in NASCAR’s premier division.
The veteran racer has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned victories across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
The 25-year-old is a veteran of 142 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 102 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
In last weekend's Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Haley started 10th, but contact with another driver on the opening lap left him a lap down and 34th in the final rundown.
In total, Haley has made 40 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine. He made his first Cup Series start at Martinsville April 11, 2021 where he started 30th and finished 35th.
Haley has signed a multi-year agreement with Spire Motorsports and will pursue NASCAR Cup Series championship honors behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy in 2025.
Haley recorded top 10s at Darlington Raceway (May), Worldwide Technology Raceway (June) at Talladega Superspeedway (Oct.) this season. He has paced the field for 29 laps and completed 99.3 percent of the laps contested in 2024.
The four-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner made his NCS debut for Spire Motorsports on April 28, 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday. He picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – less than three months later in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro.
OpTic Gaming, founded in 2006, is an industry-defining global esports, media, and entertainment organization based in North Texas. With a dedicated audience built up over a decade dubbed the “GREENWALL,” OpTic is recognized for its extensive impact pioneering this emerging industry. OpTic boasts a longstanding record of competitive success with over 50 Championship wins across titles including Call of Duty, Halo, Counterstrike, DOTA, Gears of War, Rocket League and APEX Legends. OpTic was named the 2022 Esports Organization of the Year at the Esports Awards. Led by Hector “HECZ” Rodriguez, OpTic was originally thrust into the forefront of gaming entertainment with competitive gaming content. Their award-winning docuseries, “Vision,” began in 2015 and provided a behind-the-scenes look at everything OpTic. The story continues today with “The Process,” a staple in the gaming community. For more information, visit OpTicGaming.com.
Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. Justin Haley Quote
How do you look to flip your recent momentum and end the season on a high note?
“The season is coming to an end fast and I’m motivated to get the momentum rolling on the No. 7. It has been a learning experience to this point, but I feel if we unload a fast OpTic Gaming/Gainbridge Camaro on Saturday, we have a shot at a great day on Sunday.”
Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Sunday will mark Zane Smith’s third NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway but only the second time driving the No. 71 Focused Health Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports at the legendary Virginia short track.
Martinsville marks the rookie driver’s 35th Cup Series start for Spire Motorsports and his 44th start in NASCAR’s premier division.
Smith finished 30th in last Sunday’s Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He was poised to post a top-10 finish but contact with the wall at the end of Stage 2 damaged the car and left him 30th in the final rundown.
Smith will carry the No. 71 primary sponsor, Focused Health, Sunday at Martinsville. The blue and orange paint scheme represents a health insurance agency that assists consumers and employers in navigating the myriad of health insurance options in the government programs space.
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.
Fans can order Focused Health No. 71 Zane Smith merchandise at shopzanesmith.com.Zane Smith Quote
After Homestead, what can you look forward to at Martinsville this weekend?
“We had a lot of positives at Homestead. I think the positive momentum will continue in Martinsville this weekend. Last Sunday, we were making progress until the contact with the wall, but that’s just part of racing. My Spire Motorsports team never gives up and they work hard to give me a fast Focused Health Chevy Camaro each week. I’m really looking forward to finishing the season strong with these next two races.”
Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Premier Security Solutions Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year contender qualified 15th and spent most of the day within the top 10, battling playoff contenders. After claiming stage points in both Stage 1 and Stage 2, the team secured its sixth top-10 finish of Hocevar's rookie campaign.
Hocevar's performance last Sunday marked the second time in team history in which a driver has secured stage points in both stages and finished the race in the top 10. In 2021's inaugural Cup Series event on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Justin Haley finished Stage 1 and Stage 2 in eighth and sixth, respectively, then took the checkered flag in the eighth position. Haley converted a field-leading 142 green-flag passes on the day.
The No. 77 crew clocked an 8.29 second pit stop last weekend at Miami. It stands as the fastest four-tire pit stop in series history.
The Portage, Mich., native will make his third Cup Series start at the half-mile oval. He converted the third-most green-flag passes in the field (78), earning a team-best 17th-place finish in April's Cook Out 400.
Hocevar has four CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts under his belt at "The Paperclip." He finished 12th in the 2021 edition of the 200-lapper, a venue-best.
The youngest Cup Series driver in the field ranks 21st in the division's championship point standings, leading the Sunoco Rookie of The Year standings by 110 points. Over the course of the season's first 34 races, he's notched one top-five, six top-10 and 13 top-15 finishes.
From the famous bricks of Saginaw Street in Flint, Mich., to industrial, residential, and commercial sites across North America, Premier Security Solutions has built an unmatched standard of security. Today, Premier has taken steps to advance technology and utilize new tools to combat theft and become an anti-crime organization. Premier’s Global Security Operations Center is a state-of-the-art facility, working around the clock to protect assets, corporations, schools, and families.
Premier Security deploys more than 1,000 guards around the country and protects homes, families, executive-level leaders, and major corporations. Premier’s team of retired law enforcement professionals protects more than 50 school buildings and high net-worth families, delivering an unparalleled level of service. Premier prides itself on a standard of service ensuring its customers receive the protection and peace of mind they deserve.
Crew chief Luke Lambert has called 22 Cup Series races at Martinsville, featuring a division/venue-best third-place effort in October of 2014 with Ryan Newman.Carson Hocevar Quote
The short tracks have had a learning curve for you this year. How do you look to flip the narrative this weekend at Martinsville?
“I am still learning and getting my feet under me at short tracks like Martinsville. It’s hard to make up ground when you lack grip, and aggressive moves can easily damage the car. On mile-and-a-half tracks, I can manipulate the air to my advantage, even if I lack grip. You can’t do that as easily at short tracks, so I rely on the car’s strength. Our team’s overall strength can compensate for my lack of experience at the short tracks. We’ve been strong on all track types recently, so I’m confident in our ability to run well at Martinsville and closing out the year strong.”
Spire Motorsports PR
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