TALLADEGA, Ala. – Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports, doesn’t mince words—he wants to become Chevrolet’s fourth key partner.
Certainly, to join an elite club consisting of Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Trackhouse Racing, Spire wasn’t going to reach that goal by being a two-car, also-ran organization.
The team side of the operation started five years ago after Dickerson and partner TJ Puchyr purchased Furniture Row Racing’s charter for $7 million. Over the last week, Spire Motorsports has acquired a third charter—from the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports team in addition to the purchase of Kyle Busch Motorsports at a reported investment of roughly $65 million.
Still, speculation exists surrounding the organization amid rumors that Gainbridge—an investment group with a six-year relationship with Andretti Autosport—wants to expand its footprint in NASCAR. And Dickerson still feels the need to defend himself and Spire.
“I’d say TJ and my names are on the check,” Dickerson said. “We have done a lot of these deals from the first time that we announced the deal–when we did the 78 (Furniture Row). I’m all for skepticism, right? I think some of it’s healthy, but I don’t know how many more of these deals we have to do before people know we’re for real. This is TJ’s and mine and will continue to be.
“It feels like we’re always trying to prove something, like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Where’s this really coming from?’ Like when we first did the 78 deal, everybody just like, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’ When we did the 78, it was us too. Real for us is, is we want to be a playoff car. We want to be winners. It just feels like we’re just trying to break out of that mode where we’re just like, ‘Oh man, are you guys even trying?’
The criticism of Spire is understandable. The company didn’t even have a brick-and-mortar building before buying its first charter. Eight different drivers took turns in the No. 77 Chevrolet the first season—and 18 races into the 2019 season, Justin Haley found himself with the lead and ultimately the win in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
But it has been slim pickings ever since. Corey LaJoie brought a bit of stability to the organization when he and Haley became full-time drivers for Spire in 2021. The consistency of repetition resulted in three top 10s for the organization that year. LaJoie broke into the top 30 in the standings.
Yet with the lack of results—one win, four top fives, and nine top 10s in 276 starts—the earlier shade was deserved. Dickerson is dedicated to changing the narrative.
“We’ve made significant strides,” Dickerson said. “Even before this (the purchases) and what we’ve done this summer. We’re doing it…Bristol was pretty decent for us—until it wasn’t. We’re legitimately leading laps…We just want to be in the conversation.”
Having the opportunity to move into KBM, expand the Cup program to three cars with LaJoie, Zane Smith—and if the rumors turn out to be true—Carson Hocevar—along with a three-truck program will definitely get tongues wagging.
Kyle Busch will work with Spire as a consultant. As for technical alliances, Spire will continue its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports.
“Our relationship with Hendrick continues,” Dickerson said. “We’re still with Hendrick. We have our technical alliance with them. All of our engines will be through there. The third car’s engines will be through there.
“Just as a quick note, I don’t think that there has been anybody, certainly in my NASCAR career, (more influential) than Mr. Hendrick. His support from the very beginning, he’s always kind of treating me like his illegitimate son, right? He’s always been there to kind of like push me and answer the phones. Any dumb idea that I’ve had, he’s been right there to show me that there’s a way through those things. So that doesn’t stop.
“Ultimately, where the rubber meets the road on our cup program next year, it’ll look similar to what we have now. Pit crews, at least on two of the cars, will be through there. Technical data will be through there. As far as we’re concerned, the show goes on with Hendrick.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
