TALLADEGA, Ala. — The Spire Motorsports driver lineup is set for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season. All three drivers are under contract and ready for a return.
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FanBuzz spoke to Spire Motorsports on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway and confirmed that Michael McDowell will be back in the No. 71 Cup Series car for the 2027 season. He remains under contract with the team that he joined ahead of the 2025 season.
Spire Motorsports previously announced that Daniel Suarez would return to the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in 2027 after signing a contract extension.
This was an expected move, considering that co-owner Jeff Dickerson referred to Suarez's deal as "multi-year" when announcing him as the newest member of the team, but this news confirmed the deal.
Additionally, the team locked up Carson Hocevar on a long-term basis in February. The announcement did not provide a number years; it just simply said that the Michigan native would drive the No. 77 Chevrolet into the next decade.
McDowell, a two-time Cup Series winner, has made 570 starts at the top level of NASCAR. He won the 2021 Daytona 500 and the 2023 road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway while driving for Front Row Motorsports.
The Arizona driver joined Spire Motorsports in 2025 while obtaining something that he sought throughout his entire career — job security. Instead of going year-by-year, McDowell signed a multi-year deal and ensured that he would have time to build with one organization.
The past two seasons have featured a mix of big moments and issues alike. McDowell has posted 12 top-10 finishes and six top-fives, headlined by a runner-up finish at Watkins Glen International. He has won the pole twice.
McDowell has also posted average finishes of 18.2 and 19.7 while missing out on the postseason in both seasons. Though he has kept the car mostly clean while only failing to finish three of 69 races.
The veteran driver will now have the opportunity to continue pushing for better performances as he returns to Spire Motorsports for his third full season.
