Spire putting its game face on for 2025

Spire Motorsports has to win in the NASCAR Cup Series this year.

No, that’s not a directive from team owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr. It is, however, the expectation of those in the offices, like Dickerson, that extends down to the individuals in the race shop. The time is now.

“I’m trying to balance it in my mind,” Dickerson said, responding to a question from RACER. “I think if the guys just do what they have been doing and the improvements that’s been made year over year, it’ll happen naturally. The urgency for me is more that I feel like we’ve talked about it for so many years. And I think (everyone) can see it; there’s been tangible results year over year.”

Dickerson points to the year Carson Hocevar had as one example. On his way to winning Rookie of the Year honors, Hocevar earned six top-10 finishes and had an overall average finish of 18.3. But Hocevar wound up 21st in the championship point standings because some of the drivers he had outpaced leapfrogged over his No. 77 team into the top 16 by virtue of having a victory.

No matter, though. Hocevar earned Spire Motorsports its highest points finish in history and the most top-10 finishes by one of its drivers in a single season.

“When you see what (that team) did last year, it’s a blessing and a curse because you’re like, man, Carson didn’t even know what he was doing,” Dickerson said. “It felt like we were 19th or 20th (in points) with them for most of the year. So, it just sucks because it’s right there now.

“The urgency is real. I’m just trying to balance it. But from where I sit, hey, we got to win.”

There is good reason for Dickerson’s internal battle. Over the years, Spire Motorsports has spent money to make progress by hiring personnel, adding resources, securing more sponsors, purchasing charters and buying the 77,000-square-foot Mooresville, North Carolina, shop that once housed Kyle Busch Motorsports.

In 2025 that means putting three full-time cars on the racetrack with sophomore Hocevar, veteran Michael McDowell in the No. 71 and fifth-year talent Justin Haley in the No. 7.

Hocevar is paired with Luke Lambert. McDowell stayed with Travis Peterson, who followed him from Front Row Motorsports. And Haley has championship-winning Rodney Childers on his team. That puts Ryan Sparks, the former crew chief of the No. 7 team now led by Childers, as the competition director for Spire Motorsports.

Other additions include Matt McCall, who was hired and named director of vehicle performance. McCall has won Cup Series races as a crew chief. Dax Gerringer was hired as the organization’s technical director. Gerringer might not be a high-profile name, but he’s well-known in the garage as one of the sport’s brightest minds. He previously worked with Childers at Stewart-Haas Racing as the lead engineer.

McCall and Gerringer are working closely with Sparks on competition matters. The trio is one part of the behind-the-scenes at Spire Motorsports and the talent the organization has hired.

The depth at Spire Motorsports has struck Childers. There have already been 7am meetings where Childers has stood and looked around the room at his co-owners, believing everyone has the talent and determination to succeed.

“There are people out there who are either going to fit here or not,” Dickerson said. “I think there is a special type of person here because we still do have a startup tone, and I’d be lying to you if I said we were really buttoned up, or this is Hendrick or Penske or Gibbs. We’re not that. So, we know we’re not for everybody. We’re answering the phone more than we’re making calls like back in the day. It doesn’t feel like we’re begging people to come here anymore.

“We’ve always been able to attract a certain type of person, and I think what’s interesting is even when you go to Rodney or Matt McCall or Travis, they’re still racers. I know that word gets thrown around all the time; it’s the best compliment you can give some of these guys. When they’re at home, what are they doing? How late are they staying at the shop? I feel like we’re having to throw people out of the shop to go home to their families. But at home, they’re watching Flo or some dirt track. I think that’s still the fabric of the place. But we’re in every conversation now.”