Pit Stop Radio News

• In 19 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Darlington Raceway, Spire Motorsports has logged one top-15 and nine top-25 finishes with nine different drivers. Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 7 Chili’s Chevy Camaro, earned a team-best 15th-place finish in the 2021 Cook Out Southern 500. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NCS for Corey LaJoie, Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
• The Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway will be televised live on USA Sunday, Sept. 1, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 26th of 36 races on the 2024 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Countdown to Green on NBC and Peacock will take the green flag at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

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

• Corey Lajoie will pilot the No. 7 Chili’s® Grill & Bar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
• In 13 previous NCS starts at Darlington, LaJoie has earned one top-15, two top-20 and seven top-25 finishes. He earned a venue-best 15th-place finish in the 2021 edition of NASCAR’s Labor Day Weekend tradition.
• In May’s Goodyear 400 at “The Lady in Black,” the Carolinian rolled off the grid 24th and finished 16th.
• Chili’s is a leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT). Chili’s is known for its big mouth burgers, Chicken Crispers®, full-on sizzling fajitas and hand-shaken margaritas. Chili’s takes its food seriously – but not themselves – because dining out should feel like a celebration even if there is nothing to celebrate. Chili’s passion is making everyone feel special, and every day, ChiliHeads make it their job to spread #ChilisLove across almost 1,600 restaurants in 27 countries and two territories. And Chili’s cares. Chili’s hosts local Give Back Events to support kids, education and hunger and has raised more than $100 million benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through generous Guest donations. Find more information about Chili’s at chilis.com, follow on Twitter or Instagram, like them on Facebook or join Chili’s on TikTok.
• Chili’s iconic chili-pepper logo will adorn the hood of the No. 7 Camaro for the fourth of four races this season. LaJoie brought the brand a top-five finish in the season-opening Daytona 500.
• In the NCS most recent stop at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, the 32-year-old was jockeying for a top-10 position when he was collected in a multi-car incident. Later in the event, the No. 7 team pulled behind the wall to repair a broken steering rack, falling 32 laps down in the process. LaJoie and Co., ultimately took the checkered flag in 32nd.
• The 32-year-old is familiar with victory lane in “The Palmetto State,” claiming victory in ARCA Menards Series East competition at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in 2012.
• LaJoie’s father, Randy, claimed victory at Darlington Raceway in 1997. His No. 74 Chevrolet Monte Carlo paced the field for 54 circuits en route to the win.
• Over 261 NCS starts, the father of three has earned four top-five and nine top-10 finishes and led 161 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.

Corey LaJoie Quotes
Darlington is one of NASCAR’s oldest tracks with a rich history of the sport’s roots. What does it mean to roll off the grid in this historic race?
“This is a race I circle on the calendar every year. I have so many great memories here as a kid watching my dad race. I’m excited to give our Chili’s Camaro another great run in Darlington.”

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

• Zane Smith will drive the No. 71 Focused Health Camaro for Spire Motorsports in the Cook Out Southern 500.
• Sunday marks his second NCS start at Darlington driving the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. In May’s Goodyear 400, Smith started 27th and was credited with a 35th-place finish after making contact with the frontstretch wall.
• 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.
• The 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion has made five appearances at “The Lady in Black” in Truck Series competition. He boasts top-10 finishes in the 2021 and 2022 events.
• Last weekend in Daytona, Smith started 30th and took the checkered flag 13th. 
• 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. 
• Crew chief Stephen Doran has visited Darlington Victory Lane three times as an engineer for Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing, most recently in the 2020 edition of the Southern 500.

Zane Smith Quotes
Now you have a Cup Series start at Darlington under your belt, how do you feel going into the weekend?
“Darlington is a super tough track, hence its name, but its also such a historic place that means so much to this sport. I feel more prepared for the race on Sunday night with the experience from the May race. Looking forward to continue the momentum my No. 71 Spire Motorsports team has been carrying this second half of the season and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish this weekend.”

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

• Carson Hocevar will make his third NCS start at Darlington Raceway in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, piloting the No. 77 Bon Secours/Greenville Swamp Rabbits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports.
• Last week at Daytona International Speedway, Hocevar navigated the melee to bring home a clean Premier Security Solutions Camaro with an 11th-place run. The finish marked his ninth top 15 of the year.
• The rookie has logged two Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, headlined by a 17th-place finish in last year’s Southern 500. The race marked his second appearance in NASCAR’s premier division and first with current crew chief Luke Lambert.
• Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System provides compassionate medical care to thousands of area residents through Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown and Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside, as well as a network of primary and specialty care practices, and ambulatory care sites across the Greenville (S.C.) region. The mission of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit BonSecours.com.
• Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have been providing family friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.
• Darlington marked the Portage, Mich. native’s second-career NASCAR Xfinity Series start in 2023. In his first time behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports entry, Hocevar rolled off the grid 25th but quickly drove through the field to earn a sixth-place result.
• The 21-year-old owns three top fives and an average finish of 5.3 in four NCTS starts at “The Lady in Black,” including a runner-up finish in 2022. 
• Over the last five races, Hocevar has compiled an average finish of 11.6, a stat that ranks fourth across the Cup Series.
• The youngest NCS driver in the field ranks 21st in the division’s championship point standings. Over the course of the season’s first 25 races, Hocevar has notched four top-10 and nine top-15 finishes.
• Crew chief Luke Lambert called Noah Gragson’s 2022 Xfinity Series triumph at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” The victory was part of a four-race win streak that included Kansas Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
• Fans can join Hocevar for a 15-minute Q&A session at the NASCAR Experience Stage in the Fan Zone on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’re headed to Darlington this week while on a hot streak the past five races. You finished 26th in the spring, what needs to change to keep the hot streak alive?
“I’m excited to go to Darlington. It’s a place I feel like we’re capable of running well. We struggled in the spring, but I’ve always been fast there. We had a good run last year in the Xfinity car and even in the No. 42 Cup car last year with Luke (Lambert). I know the team put in a lot of work to do better this fall, and so did I. We struggled in Richmond in the spring, and we just finished eighth so I know it’s possible to have improved results.”

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  fourth-place finish in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Stephen Doran – Crew Chief, No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

• Stephen Doran is in his first full season as a Cup Series crew chief leading Zane Smith and the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team.
• 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 standings.

Spire Motorsports PR