{"id":154441,"date":"2026-02-13T15:37:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/154441\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T15:37:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:37:29","slug":"james-hinchcliffe-making-nascar-debut-at-st-pete-with-spire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/154441\/","title":{"rendered":"James Hinchcliffe Making NASCAR Debut at St. Pete with Spire"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Hinchcliffe, a six-time race-winner in the NTT IndyCar Series and an analyst for INDYCAR on FOX, will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on the Streets of St. Petersburg on February 28.<\/a><\/p>\n

The 39-year-old driver will be partnering with Spire Motorsports for the event, where he\u2019ll pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course. Delaware Life will serve as the primary sponsor of the effort.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s no stranger to St. Pete.@Hinchtown<\/a> will pilot the Delaware Life No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST in @NASCAR_Trucks<\/a> race at St. Pete.<\/p>\n

?: https:\/\/t.co\/ZbKizJQWzC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mkoZy65SHs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) February 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI am super excited to run my first truck race at St. Pete,\u201d said Hinchcliffe. \u201cWhen they announced the trucks would be running there, I knew I had to try to make something happen because I just love this track, and I have always wanted to try something in the NASCAR world. I have been in the Spire family for a long time, so it just made sense to run with them. I can\u2019t thank Dan (Towriss), Jeff (Dickerson), Bill (Anthony) \u2013 really everyone at Spire \u2013 enough for making this come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

During an 11-year career in the NTT IndyCar Series, spanning from 2011 to 2021, Hinchcliffe was able to visit Victory Lane a total of six times and stand on the podium 18 times. The first three of his six career wins came as a driver for Andretti Global, now a pillar component of TWG Motorsports.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be a baptism of fire,\u201d Hinchcliffe continued. \u201cHaving my first race in a truck, being on a street course with no room for error, but these races always look like so much fun, so I am really looking forward to the opportunity. Plus, I love that it\u2019s going to be shown on FOX Sports, with some of my INDYCAR colleagues joining the broadcast, so that should add an extra layer of fun to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After stepping away from the driver\u2019s seat at the end of the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series campaign, Hinchcliffe transitioned into the broadcast booth, calling INDYCAR events for NBC Sports from 2022 to 2024. Now, the Oakville, Ontario-native contributes to Formula 1 broadcasts and now works with FOX Sports to broadcast IndyCar Series events.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames had an amazing open-wheel career with wins and poles across all kinds of formulas, but I\u2019m not even sure he\u2019s ever watched a NASCAR race,\u201d quipped Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. \u201cI know it means a little more to (Co-Owner) Dan (Towriss) and I, personally, to be able to do this with him, and when he called Dan and wanted to give it a go it seemed right on brand for all of us. This definitely won\u2019t be the first time we\u2019ve been out on a ledge together. We\u2019re all really grateful to Delaware Life for coming along for the ride and giving us a weekend to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 80-lap Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be televised live on FOX on Saturday, February 28 at Noon ET. NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will also have radio coverage of the event.<\/p>\n

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