Stephen Doran and Luke Lambert will be crew chiefs for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, Spire announced Dec. 6.
Doran will helm the No. 71 for Zane Smith, while Lambert has been assigned to Carson Hocevar‘s No. 77.
Lambert and Hocevar have experience together; Lambert was the crew chief on Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 when Hocevar filled in there toward the end of the 2023 Cup season.
Meanwhile, Doran will be a Cup crew chief for the first time after previously serving on Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 4 as an engineer.
“Stephen Doran and Luke Lambert are veterans of the sport, exemplary individuals and we’re thrilled to welcome them both to Spire Motorsports,” Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a team release. “Stephen is an accomplished racer who earned this position through practical knowledge, hard work and success. He’s been part of championship-caliber teams in the past and we’re confident that he’ll play a significant role in helping Spire Motorsports continue to raise our competitive bar.
“Luke Lambert is a complete professional and highly regarded competitor who has worked with Carson in the past. His demeanor and ability to connect with his drivers is what makes him a perfect fit. He has worked directly with Ryan Sparks previously, so that points directly to the synergy we’re looking for amongst our competition group.”
Both Hocevar and Smith are competing in their rookie Cup seasons in 2024, both moving up from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Smith earned one top 10 in eight Cup starts in 2023, while Hocevar scored a best finish of 11th in nine Cup starts.
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