The NASCAR Cup Series visited Kansas Speedway on Sunday for the AdventHealth 400, where Spire Motorsports fielded three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries. Despite adversity throughout the afternoon, the organization recorded multiple solid runs and continued its push in the championship standings.

Daniel Suárez – No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Start: 8th
Finish: 19th
Points: 16th

Daniel Suárez battled significant communication issues for much of the race but persevered to earn a 19th-place finish, recording his seventh top-20 result of the 2026 season through nine races.

Suárez started eighth and quickly reported difficulty hearing his spotter and crew chief during Stage 1. On Lap 37, he made a scheduled green-flag stop and rejoined the race in 16th before finishing the opening stage in 18th. During the stage break, the No. 7 team replaced the radio, allowing Suárez to line up 20th for Stage 2.

While communication issues persisted, Suárez briefly went a lap down early in the second stage but regained it during the pit cycle. He again lost a lap on Lap 157, but as the first car one lap down, he earned the free pass at the conclusion of Stage 2.

Following further adjustments, Suárez restarted the Final Stage in 20th. With 60 laps remaining, a lack of grip prompted a pit stop for fresh tires, cycling the Monterrey, Mexico native to 20th, one lap down. A late caution forced NASCAR Overtime, allowing Suárez to take the wavearound and rejoin the lead lap. He brought the NationsGuard Chevrolet home 19th following a green-white-checkered finish.

Daniel Suárez Post-Race

“Definitely a challenging race for us. Not being able to communicate clearly for a good part of the day made things really difficult. We lost some track position, but the No. 7 NationsGuard Chevy team never gave up. It’s not the finish we want, but it’s something we can build on.”

Michael McDowell – No. 71 Delaware Life / Triad Partners Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Start: 18th
Finish: 34th
Points: 19th

Kansas Speedway proved difficult for Michael McDowell, as handling issues and long green-flag runs resulted in a 34th-place finish.

McDowell started 18th and hovered just outside the top 15 early in Stage 1, but loose conditions hampered progress. After a green-flag stop on Lap 39, McDowell cycled out 22nd and ultimately lost the lead lap with three laps remaining, finishing Stage 1 in 23rd.

Starting Stage 2 in 24th, the No. 71 team elected to stay out longer during the pit cycle in hopes of regaining track position. However, the loose handling persisted, and long green-flag runs caused McDowell to fall multiple laps down. After completing Stage 2 in 35th, the team took the wavearound to begin the Final Stage two laps down.

Another scheduled stop inside the final 50 laps and a late caution allowed McDowell to regain a lap via wavearound, but earlier setbacks were too much to overcome, resulting in a 34th-place finish.

Michael McDowell Post-Race

“A tough day for us here in Kansas. We got behind early and those long green-flag runs really hurt us. We’ll go back, study what didn’t go our way, and keep moving forward. I’m thankful for everyone at Delaware Life and Triad Partners.”

Carson Hocevar – No. 77 Chili’s Ride The ’Dente Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Start: 6th
Finish: 13th
Points: 12th

Carson Hocevar paced the Spire Motorsports lineup with a strong performance that fell just short of a top-10 finish after a late-race caution forced overtime.

Hocevar qualified sixth, his best career start at Kansas, and quickly moved into fourth place. The team elected to run long on the first green-flag pit cycle, allowing Hocevar to lead three laps before pitting on Lap 40. A broken pit gun slowed the stop, dropping the No. 77 to 18th, but Hocevar rebounded to finish eighth in Stage 1.

A second pit-road issue during the stage break shuffled Hocevar back to 18th to begin Stage 2, but the team again executed a long run strategy. Hocevar led three more laps and used fresher tires to advance to 10th at the end of Stage 2, earning four valuable stage points.

After a strong stop by the Chili’s pit crew, Hocevar restarted ninth and maintained a top-10 position deep into the Final Stage. A caution on Lap 265 forced NASCAR Overtime, and the No. 77 team opted for four fresh tires, restarting 16th. Hocevar charged forward to finish 13th.

Carson Hocevar Post-Race

“Really good effort from this No. 77 team today. We battled through adversity, and the speed of our Chili’s Chevrolet really showed. We didn’t get the finish we wanted, but the stage points made it a decent points day overall.”

Up Next

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend.

Race: Jack Link’s 500Date: Sunday, April 26TV: FOX – 3:00 p.m. ETRadio: Motor Racing Network & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

The event marks the 10th of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

Spire Motorsports PR