Spire Motorsports Dollar Tree 301 Race Report 2026

For the first time since the organization's inception in 2018, Spire Motorsports' NASCAR Cup Series team will compete in the sport's 10-race championship playoff format, The Chase. Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suárez clinched spots in the 16-driver field to race for a Cup Series championship following Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Thirteen drivers have secured their place in The Chase with one race remaining in the regular season.

Michael McDowell led the charge for Spire Motorsports at New Hampshire with a 16th-place finish in the Dollar General 301 following a delayed race start due to inclement weather. Suárez was scored 17th when the checkered flag waved with Hocevar in 19th. McDowell started 15th in the No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 301-lap race and maintained his position through the first stage. After starting 19th for Stage 2 following pit stops, McDowell began to battle a vibration and fell a lap down to the leaders. Following a pit road penalty, the No. 71 team used pit strategy and a handful of timely cautions to regain their position on the lead lap and battled back to 16th before crossing the finish line. Suárez lined up 35th in the No. 7 Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the start of Sunday’s race. After battling a loose balance and tire chatter through the opening two stages, Suárez entered the Final Stage one lap down in 30th. A series of late-race cautions allowed the team to make adjustments and earn the free pass, putting Suárez back on the lead lap. Suárez rallied to a 17th-place finish in the closing laps. Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Modo Casino Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, started 22nd and quickly made his way into the top 10 to ultimately finish third in Stage 1. On Lap 85, the Portage, Mich., native went for a spin, flattening all four tires. He immediately came to the attention of his crew, causing the No. 77 team to fall one lap down. Hocevar fought throughout the day, eventually returning to the lead lap on Lap 226 and advancing to 19th to close out the race.

The NASCAR Cup Series regular season concludes next Saturday, Aug. 29 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 26th of 36 points-paying races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

“We had a challenging day with the balance of the car, especially early on, but the team never gave up and kept making adjustments to get us going in the right direction. We were able to get back on the lead lap with the free pass and make some progress to finish 17th. Most importantly, we clinched a spot in The Chase, so we’ll take that and keep working to get better for next week.”

“Such a chaotic day here in New Hampshire, we had good pace in our Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro and were working toward the top 10, then we started to fight a pretty significant vibration on the right rear. Once we recovered from that we had an equipment interference penalty that almost made our bed for the day. Thankfully, we caught a caution at the right time to get back on the lead lap and fight for a decent finish. It isn’t where we want to be, but we showed promise and some good fight."

“It’s really cool to clinch a spot in The Chase. It’s really big for everyone at Spire Motorsports. There’s people that have been with the organization for a very long time, since before they had race cars. It’s easy for us to lose track of where this team was, and how far we have come. We’ve been running well across the board this season, so it is easy to overlook these small victories. It’s no longer a lame duck postseason. We get to be a part of it.”

About Spire Motorsports …

Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 24, 2026, when Daniel Suárez took the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.

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