Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series drivers Justin Haley, Michael McDowell, and Carson Hocevar are set to compete in the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Sunday, aiming to secure a strong finish at a track where the team has previously found moderate success. Each driver, piloting the Chevrolet ZL1 under the Spire banner, is poised to improve on the organization’s record at the one-mile oval, with the televised race scheduled for September 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Spire Motorsports’ Performance at The Magic Mile
In eleven NASCAR Cup Series appearances at NHMS, Spire Motorsports has accumulated a single top-20 and three top-25 finishes, with last year’s effort by Carson Hocevar resulting in a 17th-place, the best Cup result for the team at this venue to date. This season, the organization brings three Chevrolet ZL1 entries—No. 7 for Justin Haley, No. 71 for Michael McDowell, and No. 77 for Carson Hocevar—each hoping to build upon their history at New Hampshire. The Mobil 1 301, serving as the 30th points race of the season, will receive coverage on USA, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90.
Justin Haley’s Pursuit of Consistency at NHMS
Justin Haley will guide the No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet ZL1 at NHMS. With four prior Cup Series starts at this facility, Haley has delivered two top-20 results, with a personal best 17th-place finish secured in July 2023. Further, his NASCAR Xfinity Series experience includes two appearances at NHMS, highlighted by a sixth-place outcome in 2021 and a 13th in 2019. Haley also competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at NHMS in 2017, placing 13th, and in the ARCA Menards Series East, where he earned a podium with a third-place run in 2016 and another top-10 finish.
The No. 7 crew approaches this New Hampshire event with renewed momentum following a 13th-place finish at Bristol last weekend, overcoming early tire challenges. Haley, at 26 years old, is preparing for his 173rd career Cup Series race, sporting a record that includes one victory, six top-five finishes, 18 top-10s, and 123 laps led since debuting in July 2019 with Spire Motorsports.
Haley reflected on the recent progress and the team’s approach to New Hampshire:
Bristol was a solid weekend from start to finish for the No. 7 team. We had a great car all weekend and we executed well. We are putting together weekends and that gives us confidence heading to New Hampshire. One-mile race tracks are always tricky, so we’re looking to be fast when we unload and execute a solid weekend.
— Justin Haley, Driver, Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet ZL1
Supporting Haley atop the No. 7 pit box is Ryan Sparks, who fulfills a dual role as Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and crew chief. Sparks has considerable experience, overseeing 195 Cup Series events, with four top-five and ten top-10 finishes across his tenure. Notably, he’s managed five races at NHMS, with a best of 23rd achieved in 2024 while working with Corey LaJoie.
Michael McDowell’s Rain-Aided Resurgence
Michael McDowell returns to NHMS in the No. 71 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1, marking his 23rd Cup Series start at this facility. McDowell’s standout result at the one-mile oval is a 13th-place finish, recorded last year. Over the course of these 22 prior starts, he has amassed two top-15s and four top-20s, completing all 606 laps in the last two trips to NHMS.
McDowell’s most recent experience at NHMS saw him inside the lead pack prior to a late-race spin, after which he recovered for a top-15 finish. In both 2023 and 2024, rain-affected contests at NHMS played to his strengths, allowing him to run among the top 10 in adverse conditions. Beyond Cup competition, McDowell has two Xfinity Series starts with a venue-best 15th and a 14th-place showing in his lone Truck Series appearance at NHMS. In his 2025 Cup campaign, he’s displayed consistency with two top-five, three top-10, and 17 top-20 results, finishing all but two of the initial 28 races.
McDowell and his team are further buoyed by achievements off the track, including Spire’s first Busch Light Pole Award this March at Las Vegas and a crew victory in the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge at North Wilkesboro. McDowell has also notched three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this year—at Daytona, Phoenix, and Talladega—demonstrating speed across a range of circuits.
The Arizona native shared his mindset regarding the variable weather conditions at NHMS:
I hope it rains. The best I’ve run at New Hampshire is in the rain. It has not been a great track for me statistically, but the short tracks for us this year have been better than what the short tracks have been in the past for me, so I feel like we have another opportunity. Similar to Martinsville and Phoenix, we feel like we’ve made gains and hopefully we’ll keep that going this weekend at Loudon.
— Michael McDowell, Driver, Spire Motorsports No. 71 Chevrolet ZL1
Guiding the No. 71 squad is crew chief Travis Peterson, who joined Spire for this season after previous work with McDowell at Front Row Motorsports. Peterson holds a solid average starting position of 19.3 and an average finish of 15.0 across three Cup Series races as crew chief at NHMS, with only one performance outside the top 15 during that stretch.
Carson Hocevar Aims for Continued Progress at NHMS
Carson Hocevar, piloting the No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1, is making his second Cup Series start at New Hampshire. Last year, he advanced from a 22nd starting spot to finish 17th, currently Spire Motorsports’ best result at the track. This event marks a special occasion for Hocevar’s sponsor, as Delaware Life’s headquarters is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, making NHMS the team’s local race weekend.
Though relatively new to the Cup ranks at NHMS, Hocevar brings experience from similar flat one-mile tracks, notably at Milwaukee, where he started third, led 40 laps, and took runner-up honors in the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Recently, Hocevar’s form has been promising; he earned a seventh-place finish at Bristol, representing his eighth top-10 of the current season and his second top-10 in three races.
Hocevar, reflecting on his limited Cup track time at New Hampshire and his team dynamic, said:
Crazy things have been known to happen at New Hampshire. I don’t have a ton of experience there so it’s still a learning experience for me when we unload on Saturday. Thankfully I have a good group of guys on the No. 77, and Luke (Lambert, crew chief) and Tyler (Green, spotter) do a great job of coaching me through everything. I think we have a good opportunity to finish out the season strong.
— Carson Hocevar, Driver, Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet ZL1
Pursuing New Landmarks in the NASCAR Cup Series
The trio of Spire Motorsports drivers will enter the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway focused on delivering breakthrough performances for their team and its partners. Justin Haley seeks to maximize momentum after a solid showing at Bristol, Michael McDowell aims to capitalize on improved short-track results and favorable conditions, and Carson Hocevar continues his upward trend as he gains experience at the Cup level. Their crews, led respectively by Ryan Sparks, Travis Peterson, and Luke Lambert, will play crucial roles in strategy and preparation throughout the weekend.
With Spire Motorsports emphasizing development and consistent results, the upcoming contest provides a stage for each driver and crew to make their mark as the season heads into its final stretch. The performance at New Hampshire may not only set a new benchmark for Spire at the track but could also influence team direction in subsequent races, providing further evidence of progress and competitiveness in the NASCAR Cup Series field.
