Spire Motorsports has named the crew chiefs for the No. 71 and No. 77, finalizing its lineup ahead of the 2024 Cup Series season.
Stephen Doran will guide rookie Zane Smith and the No. 71 team. Luke Lambert will join Spire Motorsports and work as the crew chief for Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 team. Ryan Sparks will remain with Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 team.
Lambert, who reached the Championship 4 with Ryan Newman in 2014, spent last season with Legacy Motor Club. He moved up to Cup with Noah Gragson and took over as the crew chief of the No. 42 team.
Hocevar was a replacement driver for the No. 42 team for eight races after Gragson and Legacy Motor Club parted ways.
“Carson Hocevar has shown tremendous potential and that was apparent during our time together last year,” Lambert said in a statement. “He knows how to get the most out of his race car and how to communicate effectively with his team. I’m looking forward to working with him again in this new capacity and building on our experience with one another.”
Doran will make his crew chief debut in 2024, starting with the Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum. He makes the move to Spire Motorsports after more than a decade at Stewart-Haas Racing. He worked on the No. 4 team as an engineer.
Doran will work with Smith, the 2022 Truck Series champion. Zane Smith signed a multi-year agreement with Trackhouse Racing in September. The No. 71 team will be a partnership between Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse during Smith’s rookie season.
“I didn’t know Zane personally, but when I started to go through his career, I noticed he’s consistently won in everything he’s raced and made the most of every opportunity he’s had along the way,” Doran said in a statement. “Zane and I have talked a lot lately and I think this is going to be a great fit.
“Our personalities mesh well and I think communication will be great on and off the track. I knew right away in our first meeting that he was the guy I wanted to do this with. He has all the intangibles that make an elite driver in the Cup Series. I am grateful for this opportunity and think Zane and this No. 71 team will create a lot of excitement and turn some heads in 2024.”
