MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Veteran NASCAR Cup Series Crew Chief Stephen Doran will return to Spire Motorsports following the completion of the 2026 season to the lead efforts of the team’s No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2021 Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell.
Doran returns to Spire Motorsports from Trackhouse Racing after collecting five poles and seven wins with driver Shane van Gisbergen over the last two seasons.
The Butler, Pa., native spent the 2024 season as an integral part of Spire Motorsports’ operation after previously serving in the crew chief role for the No. 71 machine. In addition to his race-winning resume, he brings a keen eye for leadership to the team’s three-car Cup Series operation where he will serve in a highly collaborative role alongside fellow crew chiefs Ryan Sparks and Luke Lambert.
“Our 2027 season starts today so we’re eager to bring Stephen back to Spire Motorsports,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “He’s an exceptionally talented individual, a winning crew chief and someone who fits in with our group, seamlessly. Spire had a great 2026 season, so we have a lot to be proud of. Adding Stephen to the mix with Matt McCall and reuniting him with Ryan (Sparks), Luke (Lambert) and Dax (Garringer) gives me a lot of confidence that our best days as an organization are still in front of us.”
Spire Motorsports has offered Travis Peterson a leading engineering role to leverage his skills across the entirety of the team’s Cup Series operation. Peterson was responsible for guiding McDowell to a pair of pole positions, six top fives, including a runner-up effort in May at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, and 14 top-10 finishes over the last two seasons.
Doran’s impact at Trackhouse Racing was felt early in his tenure when van Gisbergen collected the checkered flag in the NASCAR Cup Series inaugural visit to Mexico City at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The potent duo went on to win five of six road course events in 2025, including victories at the Chicago Street Race, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, Watkins Glen and the ROVAL configuration at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The veteran Crew Chief also van Gisbergen to a career-best 12th-place finish in the season-ending Cup Series Championship point standings.
This year, the Doran/van Gisbergen pairing notched victories at Watkins Glen and Sonoma while collecting two pole positions, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
Doran’s re-arrival to Spire Motorsports comes on the heels of the team’s most successful season to date – a year that saw Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suárez win points-paying races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, respectively. Meanwhile, both the Nos. 7 and 77 teams earned berths in The Chase – NASCAR’s championship playoff format.
“I’m incredibly thankful to Justin (Marks) for giving me the opportunity to be a crew chief at Trackhouse. I’m equally grateful for the opportunity to work alongside SVG. He’s a world-class driver on the track and an even better person away from it. I’ll truly miss the people and relationships I’ve built within the Trackhouse family.
“The timing felt right to return to Spire Motorsports. Coming back to the No. 71 team is something I’ve thought about since leaving at the end of 2024. What Jeff, Dan (Towriss), and the entire organization have built in such a short time is impressive, and I’m excited to be part of what’s ahead. I can’t wait to get to work with Michael and the entire team as we push to become a consistent race-winning organization for years to come.”
