Spire Motorsports might be one of the new teams in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, but they are ambitious. In comparison with 23XI Racing and Trackhouse, their achievements and progress look slow. However, the leadership group is trying all they can to bolster their racing program. Going by the latest updates, Spire has now decided to invest in youth and develop its own line-up, rather than relying on a talent pool of other teams.
Up-and-coming driver Tristan McKee has signed with Spire Motorsports on a driver development program. The 14-year-old has made a name for himself competing in the CARS Tour, but with this deal in place, he will be able to run in select ARCA Series races.
Here’s what you should know about Tristan McKee
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With the likes of Connor Zilisch, William Sawalich, and Taylor Gray dominating the headlines, it is hard to hear about a guy like McKee. However, the fans who follow Late Model racing know that he is the real deal. At just 12 years old, McKee became the youngest winner in the CARS Tour history at Dillon Motor Speedway. Like every budding race car driver, his dream is to one day compete in NASCAR, and having signed with Spire Motorsports, he’s getting one step closer to that dream.
“We are really excited to have Tristan on board with us at Spire. Frankly, everyone around Tristan has nothing but good things to say about his speed, work ethic and versatility. He obviously comes from a great family so we can’t take too much credit. Tristan will be making noise in this sport in the short and long term and we’re excited to be on this journey with him.” Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson said this in a press release.
After his record-breaking win at Dillon Motor Speedway, the Williamsburg native bagged wins at tracks like North Wilkesboro and Caraway Speedway. McKee’s racing talent had been identified by General Motors. “Nothing like this has happened to me before, so I’m really grateful for the opportunity that Jeff Dickerson and everyone at Spire Motorsports has given me. I think 2025 is going to be a really good year. We’re going to have plenty of races on the schedule, so I’m just looking forward to the opportunity, and I can’t thank the people from Spire enough.” McKee added.
McKee will be competing in multiple disciplines in a total of 45 race events. His schedule includes races in the Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model in the CARS Tour, ARCA Menards Series, and the Trans Am TA2 Series. This addition allows Spire Motorsports to build on their racing project in NASCAR. With strong links and a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, they could be the next big team in the series. Meanwhile, they have made a statement with the signing of new drivers for the 2025 season along with the addition of a championship-winning crew chief.
Spire Motorsports is geared up for the 2025 NASCAR season
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The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign wasn’t entirely a huge success for Spire. Their senior driver, Corey LaJoie in the No. 7 car, struggled for consistency and it got so bad that they had to part ways with him. Justin Haley was brought in to lead the #7 team and is signed on a multi-year deal with Spire Motorsports.
Zane Smith, who was on loan from Trackhouse Racing, couldn’t settle in the new environment. To make matters worse, it was announced that SVG will be Trackhouse Racing’s third driver, leaving him without a seat. It was clear Spire had other plans, and they decided to go with the experienced Michael McDoweell. The former Front Row Motorsports driver has won multiple races at the Cup level and will play a key role in this new project.
Carson Hocevar retains his spot on the team, and he was the bright spot in what was a dull outing for Spire in 2024. Hocevar won the Rookie of the year honors and is expected to hit his strides this year. He had five top 10 and a top 5 result across the 2024 campaign. However, the highlight of the new addition has to be Rodney Childers, the championship-winning crew chief, joining the No. 7 team.
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So it’s fair to say that Spire Motorsports driver lineup is indeed stacked for this year. But we will have to wait for a few races to make any early judgment regarding the success of this overhaul.