In three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Spire Motorsports earned a venue-best third-place result last October with Rajah Caruth, driver of the team’s No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets full time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The No. 7 entry will see a rotating roster of all-star caliber drivers throughout the remainder of the season, while Caruth and NASCAR Cup Series veteran Corey LaJoie will pilot the Nos. 71 and 77, respectively.
Throughout the month of October, Spire Motorsports is trading its signature “Ascent Yellow” for “Breast Cancer Pink” in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month, honoring the incredible strength and resilience of those who have been affected by the life-altering disease. Fans can purchase limited edition “Spire Goes Pink” merchandise online or at the team’s race shop located at 351 Mazeppa Road in Mooresville, N.C. All proceeds will be donated to support breast cancer research. In addition to the financial contribution, Spire Motorsports will recognize the team’s employees, friends and family members who have been impacted by breast cancer. Their stories will be shared across the organization’s social media channels over the next five weeks.
The Love’s RV Stop 225 will be televised live on FOX Friday, Oct. 17 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The second of three races in the Round of 8 of the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs, and 23rd of 25 events on the series’ 2025 calendar, will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.

JJ Yeley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

JJ Yeley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado in Friday’s Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway.
The 85-lap event will mark Yeley’s 37th CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and first since August 2020 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. He collected a series-best ninth-place finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the 2017 season opener.
The Phoenix, Ariz., native owns three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series superspeedway starts, collecting two top 10s at Daytona International Speedway.
The 22-year NASCAR veteran has tallied 69 superspeedway starts across all three NASCAR national series, scoring a best finish of fourth in NASCAR Xfinity Series action at Daytona in June 2006 and Talladega in May 2015.
The open-wheel standout is one of the most decorated competitors in the history of the United States Auto Club (USAC). Yeley has racked up 61 wins across the platform and was the second driver to win the “USAC Triple Crown,” clinching the USAC Sprint Car National Championship, USAC Silver Crown Series and USAC National Midget Championships in 2003. He and Tony Stewart (1995) stand as the only drivers to secure all three titles in the same season.
The 49-year-old is a two-time winner on the year, claiming victory in USAC CRA Sprint Car Series action at Calistoga (Calif.) Speedway during the Louie Vermeil Classic, and with the POWRi WAR Sprint Car Series at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., in September.
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Yeley will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-040 Friday. The superspeedway truck has made 10 appearances, including three top-five finishes. Christopher Bell (Oct. 2016, fourth) and Todd Gilliland (Oct. 2019, second) both collected top fives in the truck. The chassis last saw action at Daytona in February, where Justin Haley drove it to a fifth-place finish.

JJ Yeley Quote
You have shown a lot of consistency on speedways across the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series. What is it about superspeedways that suits your style so well?
“Well, I will probably attack it with a lot of caution. Obviously, I have a lot of years of speedway racing, but the truck series has a lot of young guys that don’t have that experience. From all the races that I’ve watched, in order to win the race, you have to be there at the end. Usually, there are a lot of wrecks. Trying to keep myself out of trouble will be goal number one.

Getting the opportunity with Spire Motorsports in one of their Silverados will be a phenomenal opportunity for me. They’re one of the premier teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, and their trucks always have a lot of speed. I feel like I will be able to go out there and maneuver and make things happen, versus needing a partner to try to advance towards the front of the field.”
Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

Brian Pattie stands atop of the No. 7 pit box, an entry that has seen an abundance of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2025 season.
The 50-year-old has called five CRAFSMAN Truck Series races at superspeedways, registering a series-best fifth-place finish this February in the season opener with driver Justin Haley.
In NASCAR Cup Series competition, Pattie led Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., to Talladega Victory Lane in May 2017, Stenhouse’s maiden Cup Series win. They followed it up with a Coke Zero Sugar 400 triumph at Daytona later that season.
During his time at NEMCO Motorsports, the Zephyrhills, Fla., native led Joe Nemechek to a pair of Xfinity Series wins on superspeedways, coming at Talladega in April 2000 and Daytona in July 2002.
Last time out at the Ecosave 250 on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the No. 7 team and driver Connor Zilisch qualified sixth, and despite showing top-three speed all afternoon, were forced to settle for a fifth-place result after being involved in an incident on the final restart.
Through 22 races, the No. 7 crew has tallied two wins, eight top fives and 11 top 10s.
In May, the team and driver Carson Hocevar claimed victory in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway. Hocevar led 75 of the event’s 134 laps and survived last-lap contact en route to his fifth victory in the series and first aboard a Spire Motorsports- prepared Chevy Silverado.
The No. 7 team defended its 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. The Las Vegas driver spent all 135 laps in the top 15 while leading a race-high 80 laps and recording a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
The 24-year industry veteran spent 14 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division. As a crew chief, he’s amassed six wins in Cup Series competition, 11 in the Xfinity Series and seven in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He stands as one of 11 crew chiefs to win races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

Rajah Caruth will handle the driving chores for Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado in Friday afternoon’s Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Caruth secured his second CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoff berth by claiming victory at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in May, and advanced to the Round of 8 for the second-consecutive season. Entering the second of three races in the Round of 8, the 23-year-old sits fourth on the playoff grid, holding a one-point advantage over the Championship 4 cutline.
In the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series most recent race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, the No. 71 team racked up 12 stage points and capitalized on melee during a late-race restart to collect a fourth-place finish to start the Round of 8.
The 2024 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Most Popular Driver owns two series starts at the 2.66-mile Alabama venue. He navigated through a multi-truck incident on the final lap of last October’s Talladega visit to secure a fourth-place result.
In his lone ARCA Menards Series start at Talladega, the Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University graduate led six laps en route to a sixth-place finish in 2022.
Through 22 races, the Washington, D.C., native has registered one win, four top fives and 11 top 10s. He has led 193 laps, nearly quadrupling his 57 career laps led entering the 2025 season.
In the No. 71 team’s first playoff appearance in 2024, Caruth and Co. advanced to the Round of 8, but mechanical issues stalled their Championship 4 hopes in the season’s penultimate event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
With his first career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last season, Caruth became the third African-American driver to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race, joining 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott and current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace.
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The blue and white HendrickCars.com colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-006. The truck has two prior starts under the Spire Motorsports banner, raced by Corey LaJoie at Daytona in 2023 and Chase Purdy at Talladega last October.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
Talladega is a beast of its’ own. What is the method to avoiding the madness?
“It starts with qualifying. I think we will be good enough to qualify within the top 10, but from there, you just have to manage your track position. I don’t forsee myself playing the lane jumping game. With the engine rules and body styles of the truck series, you have to be committed to your line to progress. This week is free game and I’m excited for the opportunity.”

You enter one point above the Championship 4 cutline. Does your approach change at all?
“It’s no different. You just have to do the same things as if you were two points out. You can’t take yourself out of it. You can’t get yourself turned blocking. You can’t speed on pit road. You can’t slide a tire on pit road during a fuel-only stop. You just have to race how you normally race and keep the same intensity as you have all year.”
Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion

Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called six CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Talladega, earning a venue-best seventh-place finish with Tyler Ankrum in 2019.
Last season, Manion led Nick Sanchez to victory after rolling off sixth in the season opening Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. The win marked Sanchez’s first in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
Manion and Jamie McMurray claimed two superspeedway victories in the NASCAR Cup Series during their tenure at Chip Ganassi Racing. The duo were victors of the 52nd Daytona 500 in 2010, and claimed their final Cup Series victory at Talladega in October 2013.
In 11 Xfinity Series superspeedway races atop the “war wagon,” Manion racked up seven wins, nine top fives, 10 top 10s and a 5.5 average finish. He helped Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to four consecutive Xfinity Series victories at Talladega from 2003-2006, leading 171 laps.
The 53-year-old, a 31-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed victory in its second outing with driver William Byron at Martinsville Speedway.
“Bono” has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck series wins. Manion is also one of 11 crew chiefs to have called wins across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
In 2023, Manion became one of few to call a race in all three of NASCAR’s national series in a single season, all of which came under the Spire Motorsports banner. He led the part-time effort on the No. 7 Silverado in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, helped in limited starts for Carson Hocevar in the Xfinity Series and took the reigns during the second half of the Cup Series season for Ty Dillon and the No. 77 team.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

Corey LaJoie will drive Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado in the Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Last time out at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, LaJoie qualified eighth and maintained top-10 track position throughout the day. Despite suffering minor damage and a pit-road mishap in the closing laps of the Ecosave 250, LaJoie was credited with an 18th place finish.
The former Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series driver has made 14 appearances in the premier series at the 2.66-mile tri-oval. His best outing came in 2023 when he wheeled his Ryan Sparks-prepared Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet from a 36th-place starting position to a fourth-place finish.
In his most recent CRAFTSMAN Truck Series superspeedway appearance, LaJoie started third in last season’s Daytona opener and was running in the fifth position until a last-lap incident ended his night half a lap from the finish line. LaJoie recorded the race’s highest average running position (7.83), third-most quality passes (101), fourth-most green flag passes (129) and ran more laps in the top 15 than anyone in the field (86 of 101).
The third-generation racer has logged 6,479 miles around Talladega Superspeedway over the course of his NASCAR Cup career, nearly the equivalent of a round-trip drive from Alaska to Las Vegas.
The father-of-three is no stranger to superspeedways in NASCAR’s premier series. He’s made 17 starts at Daytona International Speedway, earning one top-five and five top-10 finishes. At Talladega Superspeedway, LaJoie has 14 starts to his credit, including one top-five and two top-10 finishes
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LaJoie will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-051 Friday afternoon. The truck was most recently on track at Daytona in February with Michael McDowell behind the wheel. The appearance will mark the chassis’ third at Talladega, owning a chassis-best third-place result in 2019 with Riley Herbst.

Corey LaJoie Quote
What are your thoughts heading into Talladega?
“Talladega is unlike anywhere else on the schedule. The banking, the draft, the sheer speed, it’s a lot to take in, and you have to stay on your toes the entire time. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time and hoping you don’t get caught up in someone else’s wreck. I’ve been around this track for years, and every lap still feels intense. So, I’m looking forward to getting back out there and seeing what we can do with our No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado.”
Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

In nine Talladega races atop the pit box in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Walter has earned two top-five and two top-10 finishes, including a pair of third-place results with Kyle Busch (2006) and Casey Mears (2007).
The Albion, N.Y., native guided Rajah Caruth from starting 13th to a fourth-place finish in the 2024 Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway. The result marked Walter’s only top-five in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the famed 2.66-mile Alabama venue.
In the last five five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series appearances with LaJoie, the No. 77 crew has tallied one top five and three top 10s.
Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Cornell University graduate has racked up six wins, 53 top fives and 135 top 10s.

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