Spire Motorsports has officially locked down its crew chief lineup for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaigns, the team confirmed on Friday.
The biggest year-to-year change for the organization will actually come in the form of new Competition Directors in both the Cup and Truck Series.
Matt McCall, a former race-winning crew chief for Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing, has been promoted to Competition Director of the team’s NASCAR Cup Series program. The Denver, North Carolina-native joined Spire at the beginning of 2025 to serve as the team’s Director of Vehicle Performance.
These guys will lead the charge in 2026. pic.twitter.com/j34U579Wos
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) December 12, 2025
Kevin “Bono” Manion, who served as crew chief for Rajah Caruth and the No. 71 Chevrolet Silverado RST this past season, will transition from the pit box to the role of Competition Director for Spire’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program.
Aside from a change in the team’s Competition Directors for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaign, the team’s crew chief lineup will feature very little change.
Ryan Sparks will continue to serve as the shot-caller for the No. 7 Chevrolet, which in 2026 will be piloted by NASCAR Cup Series race winner Daniel Suarez.
Travis Peterson (No. 71) and Luke Lambert (No. 77) will also remain at their posts for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series campaign, working with their drivers Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
Peterson and McDowell, during their first season at Spire Motorsports in 2025, finished 22nd in points in the NASCAR Cup Series on the strength of three top-fives and six top-10s, as well as two pole positions at Las Vegas and Talladega.
Lambert and Hocevar have been together for two seasons at Spire Motorsports, in which time the pairing has collected three top-five results and 15 top-10s, finishing 21st and 23rd in NASCAR Cup Series points in back-to-back seasons.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, veteran crew chief Brian Pattie will continue in his role as shot-caller for the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST. Chad Walter will also maintain his role with the team, serving as crew chief of the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST.
Spire Motorsports has yet to officially announce the details of its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program for 2026, but based on the information provided, it appears the team will downsize to a two-truck program for the upcoming season.
Additional announcements regarding the driver lineup for the organization’s NASCAR Truck Series program are expected to come at a later date.
