Pit Stop Radio News

Zane Smith – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Zane Smith will make his second NCS start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sundaybehind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Ambetter Health Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• In the series’ February visit to AMS, Smith started 29th and raced his way inside the top five by the end of the first stage. Contact with the wall in turn four ended his day, ultimately finishing 35th.
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• In four NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Atlanta, the 2022 series champion has posted three top-10 finishes and earned the pole award in 2023.
• So far this season, Smith has posted six top 20s and two top 10s, while claiming a career-best second-place finish at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June. 
• Sunday will mark Smith’s 36th Cup Series career start and his 27th Cup start for Spire Motorsports.
• Crew chief Stephen Doran visited Atlanta Victory Lane in 2018 and 2020 as an engineer for Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Zane Smith Quotes
How do you feel about going to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time this season?
“In February, we had a great run but unfortunately our race ended early. I’ve had some success at this track in the Truck Series and I’m looking forward to going back there this weekend and seeing what we can accomplish. Excited to have Ambetter Health back on board my Chevrolet for 400 miles. The car looks awesome!”

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Corey Lajoie will pilot the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 
• In 10 previous NCS starts at Atlanta, LaJoie has earned two top-five, two top-10 and three top-20 finishes. He earned his venue-best Cup Series finish with a fourth-place effort in the spring of 2023.
• In February’s Ambetter Health 400 at AMS, the father of three rolled off the grid 32nd and survived the late-race melee to cross the finish line 13th.
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• In the NCS most recent stop at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the 32-year-old earned his 10th-career top-10 finish and first on a non-drafting racetrack with a ninth-place effort.
• Over 262 NCS starts, the North Carolina native has earned four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
You have had opportunities to win at Atlanta. Do you like your chances this weekend?
“We had a really great run last week at Darlington and we are starting to build some momentum. I’m excited to get to Atlanta with our Gainbridge Chevy to see if we can’t finish what we started with our P4 in 2023.”

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No.77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Carson Hocevar will make his second NCS start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Quaker State 400, piloting the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports.
• Last week at Darlington Raceway, Hocevar posted the best qualifying effort in Spire Motorsports history with a starting spot on the outside of the front row. Heavy contact with the outside retaining wall ended the rookie NCS driver’s night just shy of the scheduled distance, leaving him 33rd in the final rundown. 
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• The 21-year-old has made three Truck Series starts at AMS, headlined by a 12th-place run in 2021 on the track’s previous configuration.
• The youngest NCS driver in the field ranks 22nd in the division’s championship point standings. Over the course of the season’s first 26 races, Hocevar has notched four top-10 and nine top-15 finishes.
• AMS weekend campers can join Hocevar for a 15-minute meet-and-greet at the RMA tent in the Geico Campground Saturday at 10:15 a.m.
• Hocevar is also scheduled for a 15-minute Q&A session at the Chevy Display in the Fan Zone Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
• Race Fans can tune in to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET to hear Hocevar discuss his rookie campaign with host Dave Moody.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You will be racing against 16 drivers battling for a championship. Do you race those competitors any differently?
“Not at all. Yes, they have a lot on the line, but I’ve never raced anyone differently because of the point in the season or who the driver is. We’re all trying to race for a win, for points, our team and sponsors. I try not to focus on it too much. My spotter isn’t up there saying to let someone pass because they’re in the playoffs, so I really don’t pay attention to it.”

• In 17 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), Spire Motorsports has logged two top-five, two top-10, three top-15 and 6 top-20 finishes. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro, earned a team-best fourth-place finish in the 2023 Ambetter Health 400. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS for LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Quaker State 400 from Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, Sept. 8, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 27th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on USA will take the green flag at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Spire Motorsports PR