NASCAR Insider Set the Stakes High for the Spire Motorsports Rookies Ahead of the Daytona 500

Joining forces with Spire Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing roped in Zane Smith to throw his hat in the ring as a rookie driver for the 2024 season. Fresh off his triumph in the 2022 Craftsman Truck championship, Smith is already making waves. According to a well-informed NASCAR insider, Smith, along with another fresh face on the team, might just be the wildcard Trackhouse Racing needs.

Spire Motorsports has been shaking things up big time, from welcoming new drivers to beefing up their crew and fine-tuning their machines. The insider weighed in on the distinct strategies of the two new Spire Motorsports wheelmen and pondered how these different roads might play out on the asphalt.

NASCAR Insider has some interesting insights about the new Spire Motorsports drivers

Carson Hocevar leaped straight into the Cup Series fray last year and is set to make his big debut this season. However, the insider buzz is that Zane Smith, another alum from the Truck series, might just have the edge in terms of wisdom and cool-headedness. Hocevar got the nod last year based on his flashy entrance in a handful of Cup Series races.

But after taking a closer look at his wrap-up performance and his outings in the Truck races, NASCAR sage Ryan Flores shared some thoughts. “The maturity level—I’m not sure it’s there, especially with Carson. He has made gains in that department, but we still see him making on-rack mistakes, decision-making-wise. He did impress lots of people with his Cup Series, which starts in 2023. And then Zane, I’m just excited, for we saw the emotion when they announced this track house deal, although he’ll be farmed out to Spire, he had tears in his eyes as he announced what his his dream is to race full-time in the Cup Series.”

Flores reckons Zane Smith is a real game-changer, always elevating his teams and keeping them in the hunt, so there’s a lot of anticipation about what this dynamic duo at the Trackhouse/Spire collaboration will pull off.

But is this leap from the Truck Series straight to the Cup a gamble Spire Motorsports might come to rue? Brennan Poole previously laid bare the tough reality for Truckers aiming directly for the Cup crown without a pit stop in the Xfinity Series. The jump might be too grand, he argues, given their comfort zone with shorter Truck races, despite the similarities in handling between the Trucks and Cup cars. Poole suggests easing into it might be the smarter play.

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Yet, according to Flores, the gap between the two series has been narrowing, with the Truck Series proving to be a tough battleground brimming with fresh victors. The series has grown in competitiveness and depth, suggesting Truck drivers might just have what it takes to handle the Cup challenges. And well, now there’s another addition to the Spire Motorsports lineup, stirring more excitement and speculation about the team’s prospects.

The Spire Motorsports squad is beefing up its roster with a new wheelman on board

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Rajah Caruth is hitting the track in the Craftsman Truck Series, signing up for a full-time gig with Spire Motorsports this season. A graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, Caruth is set to take the helm of the #71 Chevrolet Silverado, teaming up with Chase Purdy, who’s holding the fort in the #77 Chevrolet Silverado.

Caruth isn’t new to the Spire Motorsports family; he’s had a taste of the action before. His first dance in the Truck Series with Spire was behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet at Gateway in 2022, where he crossed the finish line in P11. He also took the wheel for Spire at Richmond, Bristol, and Phoenix that year.

Read More: Cup Rookie Zane Smith Warns Entire NASCAR Grid With 9-Word Spire Motorsports Declaration

HendrickCars.com will hitch a ride with Caruth, signing on as the main sponsor for a cool 10 races, kicking off with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 16. Spire Motorsports is keeping the rest of the sponsorship details under wraps for now, promising to spill the beans later on.