Spire Motorsports aims to close out the year on a high note at the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, with drivers Justin Haley, Michael McDowell, and Carson Hocevar set to compete at Phoenix Raceway. The team hopes their performance in the season finale will further establish their presence in the Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series and reflect the progress made throughout the season.
Spire Motorsports Targets Strong Ending at Phoenix Raceway
This weekend, Spire Motorsports will make its 26th appearance at Phoenix Raceway, striving for a successful finish to cap off the year. Over the course of their previous starts at the venue, the best result came from Carson Hocevar, with a 15th-place finish during the March 2024 race—a clear indicator of growth within the team’s ranks. With the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series set for Sunday, November 2, broadcast live on NBC at 3 p.m. Eastern, there is excitement among the team and its supporters regarding the outcome at the renowned “Diamond in the Desert.”
Across its three entries, the No. 7 driven by Justin Haley, the No. 71 piloted by Michael McDowell, and the No. 77 with Carson Hocevar have each showcased potential for solid results at the one-mile oval. Behind the scenes, Spire Motorsports is marking October with a meaningful nod to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, switching its traditional Ascent Yellow for Breast Cancer Pink. Special merchandise is available, with proceeds going toward breast cancer research, and the team is honoring the courage of its own employees, friends, and families who have been touched by the disease by sharing their stories over the next five weeks.
Justin Haley’s Journey and Phoenix Raceway Prospects
Justin Haley steps into the No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 for what will be his tenth NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix Raceway and his last outing with Spire Motorsports. Earlier this season, Haley secured an eighth-place starting position for the Shriners Children’s 500 before a multi-car incident curtailed his race while running in 14th. His personal best at Phoenix in the Cup Series is a 17th-place result, achieved in March 2022. Over his nine prior starts at the venue, Haley’s average finish is 26.2, with a typical starting spot of 25.2, illustrating the challenge the desert track poses.
Haley brings a well-rounded background at Phoenix, having raced in all three major NASCAR national series at this venue. His Xfinity Series record at Phoenix comprises six starts, yielding two top-five finishes and four top-10s. He has also scored a top-10 in three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at the oval, and he took pole position for the 2015 Casino Arizona 100 in the ARCA Menards Series West.
Since joining Spire Motorsports in 2019, Haley’s impact has been substantial, highlighted by securing the team’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona in his third start. After stints at Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing, Haley returned to Spire for the final six events of 2024. Across seven seasons in NASCAR’s top series, he has claimed one win, six top-five finishes, 18 top 10s, and has led for a total of 123 laps—a testament to his consistency and resilience as he prepares to close his chapter with Spire on Sunday.
I can’t thank Gainbridge enough for all of their support. I want to thank my guys on the team for building competitive cars each and every week. In the spring we had a good baseline, but got caught up in an unfortunate situation. I’m looking forward to coming back and contending with the guys up front. I am hoping to go out on a good note and have a great race.
— Justin Haley, Driver, No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1
Supporting Haley on race day is Ryan Sparks, Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and crew chief for the No. 7 car. Sparks boasts experience from 201 Cup Series races from atop the pit box, with notable achievements that include four top-five and ten top-10 finishes. At Phoenix specifically, he has been at the helm for ten races, achieving a best result of 18th with Corey LaJoie in November 2022.
Michael McDowell Returns to His Home Track
Local favorite Michael McDowell will take the wheel of the No. 71 Tide Chevrolet ZL1 for his 30th NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix Raceway. The Glendale, Arizona native has consistently improved his results at the venue, recording back-to-back top-10 finishes in the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024. McDowell’s personal record at Phoenix in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition includes an 11th-place finish in 2009, backed by 999 laps completed at the venue during his tenure with JTG-Daugherty Racing.
McDowell has delivered three top-five, five top-10, 14 top-15, and 21 top-20 finishes throughout the current season, with an average start of 15.1 and an average finish of 18.5. He led 96 laps and has completed all but two of the 34 points-paying races to date, underscoring his durability and competitiveness. The closing eight weeks of the campaign have seen him secure an average finish of 14.3, highlighted by a fifth-place run at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 in Charlotte and an eighth place at New Hampshire.
The No. 71 team claimed a major milestone in March, recording Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with McDowell clocking a record 28.833-second lap. The crew also earned a $100,000 prize at the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during NASCAR All-Star Weekend, completing a pit stop in just 12.587 seconds—the fastest effort among all teams competing in the All-Star Open and the All-Star Race.
Tide, a legendary NASCAR sponsor dating back to 1946, is back on track with McDowell’s car, continuing a tradition of support for some of the sport’s most iconic drivers. The return of this trusted Procter & Gamble brand further highlights Spire’s draw for established sponsors.
It’s not so much the track as it is the weekend. It’s the championship weekend. It’s high intensity and high excitement. But for me, it’s the last race of the season and you want to go out with good momentum. I know it sounds silly, but we always talk about, you’re only as good as your last race, and you don’t want to carry your last race into the offseason if it is not a good one. So, finishing off strong is super important for everybody at the shop, the crew, and morale. It’s a grueling season. You get to the end and you don’t want the last couple of races to be that gut shot where you just feel like you’ve lost steam. So, I think finishing strong across the last few weeks is really important as we build momentum going into the 2026 season.
— Michael McDowell, Driver, No. 71 Tide Chevrolet ZL1
McDowell is supported by crew chief Travis Peterson, who has registered two top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway with McDowell. Peterson’s background includes a significant stint as a race engineer with Hendrick Motorsports, highlighted by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s final Cup Series victory at Phoenix in 2015 and Alex Bowman’s pole and strong run at the same venue in 2016. Peterson continues to build the No. 71 program into a consistent force over the season.
Carson Hocevar’s Rookie Season Progress
The rookie campaign of Carson Hocevar in the Cup Series has been marked by promise and resilience. Hocevar will make his fifth Cup Series start at Phoenix this Sunday, with his best previous result being the team’s top finish—a 15th-place—in the March race. He qualified third for that event, his highest Phoenix starting spot to date, which showcased the team’s single-lap speed and Hocevar’s adaptability on a notoriously tough oval.
Hocevar’s racing résumé at Phoenix is bolstered by five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, including two top-10 finishes for Niece Motorsports. On short tracks one mile or less, the Portage, Michigan native has notched 11 top-20 results in 21 appearances, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at Bristol in September. Across the full 2025 campaign, Hocevar’s pair of runner-up finishes at Atlanta and Nashville and nine top-10s have added to his credentials. His breakthrough pole at Texas Motor Speedway and a total of 122 laps led this season position him as an emerging force among young Cup drivers.
It has been a tough season, but I think we learned a lot as a team and I learned a lot as a driver. On and off the track, there were some moments that were not ideal or in any way fun to work through, but we can look back now and say we made it and we’re a stronger team for it. We were so close to a win multiple times this year and it sucks to not have the finishes to show for that, but that just gives us something to strive for as we work through the off season.
— Carson Hocevar, Driver, No. 77 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1
Luke Lambert, in his second full season as crew chief for the No. 77 team, brings significant experience to the table. Lambert has been atop the box for 23 Cup Series races at Phoenix since 2013, including a memorable win with Ryan Newman in 2017 and multiple top 10s with Jeff Burton. His Xfinity Series record at Phoenix features two wins and three top-five finishes, highlighted by leading Noah Gragson and Elliott Sadler to victory at the one-mile track. Together, Lambert and Hocevar have notched three top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in their 71 starts, setting the stage for a potential breakthrough in the finale.
Team Unity and Off-Track Initiatives
Alongside its competitive ambitions, Spire Motorsports has shown solidarity with the broader community through its Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative. Donning Breast Cancer Pink livery across its fleet, the organization demonstrates its commitment to honoring those battling the disease while making a direct impact by donating all proceeds from “Spire Goes Pink” merchandise sales to research efforts. The initiative brings together employees, fans, friends, and families, with personal stories about the fight against breast cancer being amplified through the organization’s social channels this fall.
This off-track focus complements the energy and sense of mission propelling Spire Motorsports forward into the season’s last race, with hopes that both its charitable work and on-track performance will generate lasting momentum.
A Look at the Competition and the Championship Atmosphere
As the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race approaches, Phoenix Raceway is set to become the epicenter of motorsport excitement. The field will not just feature Spire Motorsports’ trio but also a competitive grid filled with seasoned veterans and emerging talents. The event’s atmosphere is heightened by the championship stakes, with drivers, crews, and teams all seeking to end the year with speed and pride. Notable figures across the paddock, from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to Denny Hamlin and Ricky Craven, have each left their mark at Phoenix, making the finale a stage full of history and dramatic potential.
Key sponsors like Gainbridge, Tide, and Delaware Life provide crucial support to the Spire operation, enabling technological development and growth both behind the scenes and on-track. Their investments, alongside the dedicated work from each crew chief—Ryan Sparks with Haley, Travis Peterson with McDowell, and Luke Lambert with Hocevar—set the tone for competitive ambition and organizational unity.
Momentum for the Future of Spire Motorsports
With the conclusion of the NASCAR Cup Series season at Phoenix Raceway, every lap run by Spire Motorsports reflects the organization’s drive for excellence and commitment to its people, partners, and fans. Drivers like Justin Haley, Michael McDowell, and Carson Hocevar embody the team’s resilience, each contributing memorable performances and helping to establish Spire as a persistent threat in NASCAR’s premier division.
The team’s balance of performance, progress, and purpose—evident in its racing results and charitable involvement—sets a vibrant tone for the offseason and beyond. As Spire Motorsports closes out 2025, the emphasis on finishing strong—echoed by McDowell, Haley, and Hocevar—signals a hopeful outlook for the organization, its supporters, and the broader NASCAR community heading into the next season. All eyes will be on Phoenix this Sunday, as the team seeks to validate its season-long efforts and lay the foundation for more success in future Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series campaigns.
