COVID-19 rules leave Spire Motorsports' No. 7 team short-handed
Spire Motorsports will be without a crew chief and some crew members this weekend at Homestead due to COVID-19 protocols.
Spire Motorsports announced Wednesday that Ryan Sparks, crew chief for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Cup Series team, will be unavailable to participate in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 and will not travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Additionally, two other members of the No. 7 team will be inactive this weekend in adherence with the same directives.
Veteran Cup Series crew chief, NBC Sports analyst and Spire Motorsports consultant Steve Letarte will call the race for the No. 7 team in Sparks’ absence for the team and driver Corey LaJoie.
In a previous interview with Motorsport.com, Letarte said his consultant role allows him to “stay in touch” with the current operations in the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte
Photo by: Barry Cantrell / NKP / Motorsport Images
“My fear is my relevancy in the (TV) booth. While I feel really good about race strategy and what happens on the race track, there are a lot of moving parts in NASCAR that have changed in the last six years,” he said.
“This allows me to stay connected. We have a brand new car coming in the sport in another year and this helps me stay in touch, makes me more relevant and keeps me as accurate as possible while I’m in the booth.”
Related video
Previous article
Christopher Bell 'loves' road racing - at least for now
Next article
Chase Briscoe says move from Xfinity to Cup "very eye-opening"
About this article
| Series | NASCAR Cup |
| Teams | Spire Motorsports |
| Author | Jim Utter |
From the archive: Dale Earnhardt’s final Autosport interview
The death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. At the Daytona 24 Hours, two weeks before his fatal accident, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM, in an article first published in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine. Little did we know then what tragedy would unfold…
The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardt’s death
On February 18, 2001, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt – the fearless ‘Intimidator’ – was in his element at Daytona International Speedway. While his own DEI team’s cars ran 1-2 towards the finish line, his famed #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was playing rear gunner to block any late runs from the chasing pack. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strongarm tactics that encapsulated his persona… but his actions in those moments sadly proved to be his last.
Inspired by Pitbull, the “revolution” sweeping through NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series is changing. Whether it be the gradual morphing out the seasoned drivers of yesterday as the next generation step up, a radical calendar shake-up featuring more road courses than ever before and the prospect of an all-new car on the horizon, stock car racing’s highest level is nearing the end of a huge facelift.
The NASCAR storylines to watch out for in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season…
Why Kyle Larson can't blow his big shot at redemption
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a chance of redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Effectively replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith...
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future…
Why Kyle Larson deserves his second chance in a cancel culture
“You can’t hear me? Hey n*****” Those fateful words uttered by Kyle Larson, spoken into his esports headset on April 12, were directed at his sim racing spotter – but instead they quickly became amplified around the world via social media, including his own Twitch stream.
