The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), a program dedicated to building character and teaching life lessons to at-risk youth through sports and mentoring sessions, is returning to Spire Motorsports in partnership with Daniel Suarez.
This collaboration, which will see the foundation’s vibrant colors adorn the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in select NASCAR Cup Series events, will begin with this weekend’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
“I want to thank Dan Towriss and the Gainbridge team for this exciting partnership with Spire Motorsports and Daniel Suarez,” said Cal Ripken, Jr, Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. “Dan has been an incredibly generous and integral part of our board, and this is just another example of that. The partnership with Spire and Daniel will take our 25th anniversary celebration to a new level and expose the work of the foundation to many more. The fact that he is driving the number seven car, Dad’s old number, makes it that much more special. I look forward to cheering on Daniel and watching him in person at a race later this year.”
The upcoming exhibition event at the historic quarter-mile racetrack located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will mark the debut for Suarez with Spire Motorsports in NASCAR’s Cup Series, and the start of his ninth season full-time at the top-level of American stock car racing.
Suarez rose through the ranks of the NASCAR Mexico Series and ARCA Menards Series East throughout the early portion of his career in NASCAR, before getting the nod to debut on a national stage with Joe Gibbs Racing.
The Monterrey, Mexico-native eventually made it to the NASCAR Cup Series — after winning a title in what is now known as the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series — and has driven for teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Gaunt Brothers Racing.
Since 2018, Group 1001 (a proud partner of Spire Motorsports) and the CRSF have empowered communities with clean, safe places for underserved youth to play, building a total of 17 youth development parks and 20 STEM centers nationwide.
“Cal Ripken, Sr. had an amazing career and left behind an incredible legacy,” said Suarez. “The work the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is doing to support younger generations, especially through its STEM programs and educational initiatives, is truly remarkable. I’m a strong believer in the next generation, and seeing the positive impact these programs have on youth is inspiring. I’m very excited to be a part of this partnership, and to start off at the Clash will be incredible.”
Throughout the year, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation will continue to serve as a primary partner for Daniel Suarez and Spire Motorsports in 2026. An exact schedule hasn’t been announced.
It’s not the first time the foundation has worked with Spire Motorsports, either. In 2024, Carson Hocevar carried the colors of the foundation on his No. 77 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium will take place on Sunday, February 1 at 8:00 PM ET on FOX. Coverage will also be on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and MRN.
