In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has recorded one top‑10 finish and eight top‑20 results. The organization’s best finish at the high‑banked half‑mile came in September 2025, when Carson Hocevar earned a seventh‑place result. Spire Motorsports will field three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in Sunday’s Food City 500: No. 7 with Daniel Suárez, No. 71 with Michael McDowell, and No. 77 with Carson Hocevar.

The Food City 500 will be televised live on FS1 on Sunday, April 12, beginning at 3 p.m. EDT. Radio coverage will be provided by the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Daniel Suárez — Driver, No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Daniel Suárez returns to Bristol Motor Speedway to pilot the No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Food City 500. The Monterrey, Mexico native will pull double duty, also competing in Friday’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Tennessee Army National Guard 250 in the No. 71 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST.

Suárez has made 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol, earning two top‑10 finishes and nine top‑20 results, with a venue‑best eighth‑place finish in both races during the 2019 season. In Truck Series competition, he owns two Bristol starts, highlighted by a 77‑lap led effort in 2016 after starting second.

Before the Easter break, Suárez finished 20th at Martinsville, securing his fifth top‑20 result of the season. Through seven races in 2026, the two‑time Cup Series winner sits 16th in the driver standings, second‑highest among Spire Motorsports drivers. He has recorded one top five, two top 10s and has led 15 laps, with an average finish of 16.9—four positions better than at this point last season.

The NationsGuard brand returns as primary sponsor, continuing its work as an innovator in the automotive F&I space focused on process optimization, customer retention and measurable performance gains.

Daniel Suárez — Quote
With Bristol winners receiving a ceremonial sword, what would it mean to win that trophy?
“It would be incredible to win the Gladiator sword. Having one of my own would feel truly special. The detail in the design is amazing, and I’d love the opportunity to meet the person who created it and learn more about the process.”

Atop the No. 7 Pit Box — Crew Chief: Ryan Sparks
Ryan Sparks enters the weekend with 209 NASCAR Cup Series races atop the pit box, earning five top‑five and 12 top‑10 finishes since his Cup debut in 2020. Earlier this season, Sparks led Suárez to a top‑five finish at Atlanta and a second top‑10 at Darlington.

His best Bristol result came last September, when he guided Justin Haley to a 13th‑place finish. Since joining Spire Motorsports in 2021, Sparks has played a key role in building the organization’s technical foundation. In 2026, he serves exclusively as Suárez’s crew chief, bringing experience from championship‑winning programs in both the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Michael McDowell — Driver, No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Michael McDowell will pilot the No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s 500‑lap event. The Glendale, Arizona native has made 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol dating back to his 2010 debut.

Since 2020, McDowell has earned two top‑10 finishes and three 11th‑place results at “The Last Great Colosseum,” completing nearly every lap contested. Over his last nine starts at the venue, he holds an average finish of 14.8, with just one result worse than 25th.

McDowell also owns five Bristol starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, with a series‑best 10th‑place finish in 2009. Most recently, he rebounded from early struggles at Martinsville to finish 18th. Through seven races in 2026, McDowell sits 17th in points, earning one top five, two top 10s and leading 15 laps.

Michael McDowell — Quote
“Bristol is all about intensity. It’s a place where we’ve had good success recently in the Next Gen car, and we’ve addressed some of the issues we had last spring. Spire has a strong notebook here, and Bristol is one of those races fans absolutely have to experience.”

Atop the No. 71 Pit Box — Crew Chief: Travis Peterson
Travis Peterson brings an engineering background from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and extensive Bristol experience. In five Cup Series starts calling races at Bristol, Peterson has posted an average start of 13.4 and an average finish of 15.0, all with McDowell at the controls.

The duo’s best Bristol result came in the 2023 Night Race, where they finished sixth after qualifying fourth. Peterson also played a key role in Chris Buescher’s 2022 Bristol win while serving as a race engineer. Across 120 Cup Series starts as a crew chief, Peterson has recorded one win, eight poles, eight top‑five finishes and 25 top‑10 results.

Carson Hocevar — Driver, No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Carson Hocevar will make his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol in the No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while also pulling double duty in Friday’s Truck Series race in the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST.

Through seven Cup Series events, Hocevar sits 15th in the standings, four points above the playoff cutline. His two top fives, two top 10s, 171 points scored and 16.6 average finish all represent career highs.

At Bristol last spring, Hocevar ran inside the top five for much of the race before a late pit‑road issue dropped him back. He rebounded to finish 11th, earning the fifth‑best average running position and fourth‑best driver rating. In the fall race, he restarted on the front row with four laps remaining and finished seventh, the best short‑track finish of his Cup career. Spectrum returns as primary sponsor for the first time since Atlanta.

Carson Hocevar — Quotes
How do you stay optimistic given strong speed but limited finishes at Bristol?
“We’ve been fast at Bristol ever since my first Cup race there in 2023. We just need everything to come together. Luke has a lot of experience and success here, so we’re close.”

What about Bristol fits your driving style?
“It’s super fast. You have to make decisions quickly and pick lanes around traffic. In a lot of ways, it feels like racing on dirt.”

Spire Motorsports PR