Everything You Need to Know About the Zane Smith at Spire Deal

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 14: Zane Smith, driver of the #38 Speedco/Delo Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 14, 2023 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

In one of the most complex, impactful, and intriguing Silly Season moves, really ever, Zane Smith will drive for Spire Motorsports on loan from Trackhouse Racing after Spire purchased a charter for $40 million from Live Fast Motorsports.

Got it? Well, even if you don’t, we are here to try to explain what this move means to all parties involved.

What It Means for Zane Smith

Zane Smith is now under a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing, one of NASCAR’s top race teams. This is huge for Smith after he has spent the last four seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, including winning the series Championship in 2022.

Smith has been awaiting a chance to race at NASCAR’s top level full-time since his first chance was taken away back in 2020. He was in line to race for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021 before, ironically enough, Justin Marks bought out Ganassi to form Trackhouse. Things really do come full circle, don’t they?

Now, he will not be racing for Trackhouse yet. He instead will race for Spire Motorsports in 2024. This is not an unprecedented move as drivers like Christopher Bell, Erik Jones, and Ryan Blaney raced for other teams on a loan of sorts before racing with the organizations they were actually under contract with. Bell was with Leavine Family Racing, Jones with Furniture Row Racing, and Ryan Blaney with The Wood Brothers.

This gives Smith an opportunity to learn in a Cup car in a low-pressure situation. He will not be driving Trackhouse equipment with the expectation to win out of the gate. He can drive for Spire, an up-and-coming organization he can have success at.

This is big for Smith, and he has the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time, and he knows he will be in one of the top cars on the grid in 2025. It is a big opportunity for him, and he is understandably excited.

What does it mean for Trackhouse?

Trackhouse Racing is in a rather wild situation heading into 2024. They have Smith under contract, and they have already committed to building up a third team for him in 2025 that they will build throughout 2024.

However, Trackhouse does not own the charter that Spire has. Spire still owns that charter, so, Trackhouse will have to buy a new charter heading into 2025. That is assuming the charter system stays in place beyond 2025.

The new TV deal means that NASCAR’s economics is about to make a major shift, and one of those differences could be the loss of the charter system. Either Trackhouse needs to build up enough funds to buy a third charter, or hope that the Charter system ends following 2024.

There is also the issue of drivers. Trackhouse has Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, Smith, and now Shane Van Gisbergen on a development deal. Is it possible that they could expand to four cars in 2025 if SVG is ready, or, is someone on the hot seat? That someone very well may be Daniel Suarez given his disappointing 2023 campaign.

Trackhouse continues to be one of the most interesting race teams in NASCAR. They are not building their team in the traditional way, and that should keep them interesting for years to come.

What It Means for Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports has quietly become one of NASCAR’s up-and-coming teams. They already re-signed Corey LaJoie to a multi-year extension, and now they have a third car to add to their race team. It is still unclear who will drive that 77 car in 2024, but Carson Hocevar has been the most common name associated with the race team.

It is still possible that Ty Dillon will come back, but, his performance makes that possibility that much more unlikely. However, this is a race team that also may have bigger plans on the horizon. Recently, they signed a deal with Gainbridge to sponsor the race team.

Because of this, and Marco Andretti driving in the Truck Series earlier this year, many are thinking that a deal between Andretti Global and Spire could be in the works. Nothing of substance has been reported on that, but it is at least fun to think about.

Again, Spire owns this third charter, so they will have three race teams for the foreseeable future. If this proved anything, it is that Spire is here and here to stay. They are willing to spend the money, now, can they use that money in the right way to take them from lovable underdogs to race-win contenders?

What It Means for Live Fast.

Live Fast Motorsports, B.J. McLeod, and Matt Tifft can take a fat check to the bank after this. They sold their charter for a whopping $40 million. That was unfathomable just a few years ago.

The race team is not done by any means. Tifft even said that the race team plans to run as a non-chartered entry at select races in 2024.

The money can be used in several different places. It can be used to help upgrade the equipment they currently have. B.J. McLeod can even choose to use some of that money on his Xfinity Series race team.

However, this does open up an interesting conversation about how difficult it is for a start-up race team to succeed in NASCAR anymore. It’s not the same as it once was where just anyone could show up and compete right away. It takes a LOT of money and even some luck to make it in this sport, and it is a cutthroat business.

It is tough to see a race team like Live Fast scale back their operations, but they are not completely gone from the scene. Who knows, maybe they can work their way back up to full-time running sometime in the future. For now, this is a setback, but, it could propel them forward in the future.

Conclusion

This is a pretty wild “Silly Season” move, and it was one that few saw coming before this week came along. Next year, Zane Smith will be racing in the Cup Series, and Spire will be a three-car operation. However, another team is scaling back their operations, so, there is a lot to process with this move.

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The Biggest Losers from the NASCAR Race Weekend at COTA

What’s Happening?

After two wildcards to kick off the 2026 season, NASCAR headed to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for round 3 on the year. The big headline heading into this weekend was whether or not Tyler Reddick could become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three straight races to start a campaign. Three times before, drivers have won the first two races of the year. Now Reddick, fresh off the heels of a Daytona 500 win and a win at Atlanta makes history as the only driver to go three for three.

The No. 45 23XI team is certainly on a roll with a 70-point points lead. However, not everyone had a weekend to remember. Here are the biggest losers of the 2026 NASCAR race weekend at COTA.

Corey Day

Another race weekend, another controversial race for Hendrick Motorsports’ Corey Day. And it is, yet again, a tangle with a JR Motorsports car that lands him on this list. Late into Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA, Corey Day got into his Hendrick teammate, Connor Zilisch, who was driving the No. 1 car for the team, causing Zilisch to spin out. Up to that point, Zilisch had already overcome a lot of adversity. Heading into one of the tight corners of COTA, Day clipped Zilisch, sending him around and effectively ending his contention for the race win.

After the incident, Connor Zilisch came over the radio and called Day a “total hack” and then, after the race, told reporters that he expects and deserves an apology. Day was a good sport about it all, owning up to his mistakes. But it’s just another week of Day barreling through his competitors that makes this a weekend he’d likely rather forget. To his credit, though, despite the issues, he still managed a top 5 finish. So, at least there’s that.

Connor Zilisch

Unfortunately, Connor Zilisch makes the list. There was a lot of buzz around Connor Zilisch heading into the weekend, considering his dominance on road courses last year in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I think that many fans viewed Saturday’s race as a cakewalk for the young phenom, while others thought that the odds were in his favor to capture his first win on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, none of that came to fruition. While Saturday’s race looked like another SVG/Connor Zilisch thriller in the making, mechanical issues put the driver of the No. 1 car behind the 8-ball. Not to mention a late race incident with Corey Day and Saturday could be considered the win that could have been for Zilisch.

Sunday wasn’t much better. He did manage to keep his nose clean, so there was that. But he was more or less a non-factor most of the race. He started in the back and was able to work his way up and contend for a top 10 finish in the closing laps. Unfortunately, all he could manage was a 14th-place finish.

Shane van Gisbergen

Undeniably, the odds-on favorite going into today’s race had to be the one, the only, the NASCAR King of the Road himself, Shane van Gisbergen. Despite win-and-you’re-in being a thing of the past, many fan still expect SVG to make the 16-driver Chase for the Cup later this year based on sheer wins at road course races alone. His first opportunity came early with COTA being the third race of the season. Unfortunately, despite winning handily in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, he wasn’t able to get the job done on Sunday. He was in prime position to win his seventh career cup win but, unfortunately, the stars didn’t align. He was forced to settle for a runner-up finish.

The Entire Cup Series Field (besides Tyler Reddick)

The story going into this weekend’s race at COTA was will Tyler Reddick be able to do the impossible and become the first driver in history to win the first three races of the season. It was a tall order, for sure, but the fact that he scored the pole on Saturday must have put a pep in his step. Early on, he was far from the fastest. As the race wore on, though, he got better and better, ultimately able to outduel the King of the Road, SVG on his own turf.

Because of Reddick’s dominant performance, the last loser on our list this week is the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field. They just did not rise to the occasion, and Tyler Reddick managed to capitalize to make history. Now, they just need to go to Phoenix next week and prevent him from going four in a row. At this rate, though, Reddick might actually embarrass the field once again.

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These are the All-Time Lap Leaders and Track Records at Circuit of the Americas

What’s Happening?

In this post, we’re breaking down the top 10 all-time lap leaders at Circuit of the Americas, along with key stats, besides reviewing the top 15 active drivers with the most laps led at the track. And that’s not all; we’re also examining some of COTA’s historic track records and the names still holding them, so stick around until the end to check them out

1st. Tyler Reddick – 111 [24.3%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
6456234.02.0
2nd. William Byron – 72 [15.7%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
6456127.39.3
3rd. Kyle Busch – 54 [11.8%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64560011.013.7
4th. Ross Chastain – 49 [10.7%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64541010.510.8
5th. Shane van Gisbergen – 25 [9.6%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
3258009.310.3
6th. Christopher Bell – 18 [4.3%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64181013.010.3
T7th. Joey Logano – 17 [3.7%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64560018.717.5
T7th. Austin Cindric – 17 [3.7%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64560019.015.2
9th. Daniel Suarez – 16 [3.9%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64030029.311.5
10th. Ryan Blaney – 12 [2.6%]
RacesLaps RunWinsPolesAvg. FinishAvg. Start
64560013.817.5

Top 10 Active Drivers Rank

  • 1st. Tyler Reddick (111)
  • 2nd. William Byron (72)
  • 2nd. Kyle Busch (54)
  • 4th. Ross Chastain (49)
  • 5th. Shane van Gisbergen (25)
  • 6th. Christopher Bell (18)
  • T7th. Joey Logano (17)
  • T7h. Austin Cindric (17)
  • 9th. Daniel Suarez (16)
  • 10th. Ryan Blaney (12)

Track Records

  • Most Races: Multiple drivers (6)
  • Most Laps Run: Multiple drivers (456)
  • Most Laps Led: Tyler Reddick (111)
  • Most Wins: Tyler Reddick (2)
  • Most Poles: Tyler Reddick (3)
  • Most Top 5s: Tyler Reddick (5)
  • Most Top 10s: Tyler Reddick (6)
  • Most Lead Lap Finishes: Multiple drivers (6)
  • Qualifying Lap Record: William Byron | 85.224 MPH | March 24th, 2024
  • Worst Starting Position by a Winner: 19th – Christopher Bell in March 2025
  • Winners from Pole: 2 in 6 Races – Latest: Tyler Reddick on March 1st, 2026
  • Most Lead Changes in a Race: 20 in March 2025
  • Fewest Lead Changes in a Race: 11 in May 2021 and March 2024

Let us know your thoughts on this list. Are there any drivers that surprise you? What track record do you think will never be broken? Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on InstagramFacebook, and YouTube for more updates.

These are the All-Time Winners in NASCAR (Post COTA)

What’s Happening?

Winning in NASCAR is no small feat. Nearly 3,000 drivers have competed in the premier American motorsports series, but only 206 have reached Victory Lane. Of those, just 140 have won multiple races. In this post, we’ll break down every driver who has claimed a win at the top level of stock car racing. In addition, we’re also listing every single champion, crown jewel, and exhibition race winner.

  • CAPITAL AND PURPLE is an active driver
  • Bold and Yellow is a Hall of Fame driver

Last Updated on March 1, 2026 [Post COTA]

Rank Driver Name WinsWin
Rate
Seasons
W/Win
Crown
Jewels
All-Star
Wins
Clash
Wins
TitlesChampionship Years
1Richard Petty20016.6%2310💎7 🏆1964, 67, 71, 72, 74, 75, 79
2David Pearson10518.2%187💎3 🏆1966, 68, 69
3Jeff Gordon9311.5%2017💎32⚔️4 🏆1995, 97, 98, 2001
4Bobby Allison8511.8%2010💎1⚔️1 🏆1983
5Darrell Waltrip8410.4%177💎11⚔️3 🏆1981, 82, 85
T6Cale Yarborough8314.8%189💎3 🏆1976, 77, 78
T6JIMMIE JOHNSON83≈11.8%1612💎42⚔️7 🏆2006, 07, 08, 09, 10, 13, 16
8Dale Earnhardt7611.2%208💎36⚔️7 🏆1980, 86, 87, 90, 91, 93, 94
9KYLE BUSCH63≈8.7%194💎12⚔️2 🏆2015, 19
T10Kevin Harvick607.2%188💎23⚔️1 🏆2014
T10DENNY HAMLIN60≈8.0%197💎4⚔️
12Rusty Wallace557.7%171💎11⚔️1 🏆1989
13Lee Petty5412.6%131💎3 🏆1954, 58, 59
T14Junior Johnson5015.9%91💎
T14Ned Jarrett5014.2%71💎2 🏆1961, 65
16Tony Stewart497.9%162💎13⚔️3 🏆2002, 05, 11
17Herb Thomas4820.9%73💎2 🏆1951, 53
18Buck Baker467.2%123💎2 🏆1956, 57
19Bill Elliott445.3%136💎11⚔️1 🏆1988
20Mark Martin404.5%153💎21⚔️
T21Matt Kenseth395.6%144💎11⚔️1 🏆2003
T21Tim Flock3920.8%62 🏆1952, 55
T23Bobby Isaac3712.0%61 🏆1970
T23JOEY LOGANO37≈6.1%151💎22⚔️3 🏆2018, 22, 24
25BRAD KESELOWSKI36≈6.3%133💎1⚔️1 🏆2012
T26Kurt Busch344.3%192💎11⚔️1 🏆2004
T26Martin Truex Jr344.9%103💎1⚔️1 🏆2017
28Fireball Roberts3316.0%103💎
T29Dale Jarrett324.7%136💎3⚔️1 🏆1999
T29KYLE LARSON32≈8.0%83💎32 🏆2021, 2025
T31Carl Edwards286.2%92💎1
T31Rex White2812.0%51 🏆1960
T33Dale Earnhardt Jr264.1%112💎12⚔️
T33Fred Lorenzen2616.4%73💎
T35Jim Paschal255.9%112💎
T35Joe Weatherly2510.8%52 🏆1962, 63
37Ricky Rudd232.5%181💎
38Terry Labonte222.4%152💎21⚔️2 🏆1984, 96
T39Benny Parsons213.9%102💎1 🏆1973
T39Bobby Labonte212.8%93💎1 🏆2000
T39Jack Smith217.9%7
T39Jeff Burton213.0%83💎
T39CHASE ELLIOTT21≈5.7%711⚔️1 🏆2020
43Speedy Thompson2010.1%61💎
T44Buddy Baker192.7%115💎1⚔️
T44Davey Allison199.9%72💎2
T44Fonty Flock1912.3%61💎
T44Greg Biffle193.6%92💎
T49Geoffrey Bodine183.1%101💎11⚔️
T49Harry Gant183.8%82💎
T49Kasey Kahne183.4%94💎1
T49Neil Bonnett184.9%93💎2⚔️
T49Ryan Newman182.4%102💎1
T54Curtis Turner179.2%91💎
T54Marvin Panch177.8%72💎
T56RYAN BLANEY17≈3.7%81💎11 🏆2023
T56WILLIAM BYRON16≈5.6%62💎
T57Ernie Irvan154.7%71
T58Dick Hutcherson1413.5%3
T58LeeRoy Yarbrough147.0%63💎
T60Dick Rathmann1310.0%3
T60Tim Richmond137.0%51💎
T60CHRISTOPHER BELL13≈6.4%51💎1
62TYLER REDDICK11≈4.7%41💎
T64Clint Bowyer101.8%6
T64Donnie Allison104.1%71💎
T64Sterling Marlin101.3%52💎
T67Bob Welborn94.9%3
T67Cotton Owens95.6%6
T67Paul Goldsmith97.0%4
T70ALEX BOWMAN8≈2.4%5
T70Kyle Petty80.9%71💎
T73A.J. Foyt75.4%51💎
T73Darel Dieringer73.8%51💎
T73Jamie McMurray71.2%52💎1
T73Jim Reed76.6%21💎
T73Marshall Teague730.4%2
T78AUSTIN DILLON6≈1.262💎
T78CHRIS BUESCHER6≈1.7%4
T78ROSS CHASTAIN6≈2.1%41💎
T78SHANE VAN GISBERGEN6≈14.0%2
T79Alan Kulwicki52.4%41 🏆1992
T79CHASE BRISCOE5≈1.8%32💎
T79Dan Gurney50.5%5
T79Dave Marcis50.5%3
T79Jeremy Mayfield51.1%4
T79Ralph Moody510.6%2
T79Tiny Lund51.6%41💎
T79Ward Burton51.3%42💎
T88Billy Wade45.7%1
T88Bob Flock411.1%3
T88Bobby Hamilton41.0%4
T88Charlie Glotzbach43.2%3
T88Eddie Gray418.1%3
T88Eddie Pagan46.4%2
T88Glen Wood46.4%2
T88Hershel McGriff44.5%1
T88Joe Nemechek40.5%4
T88Ken Schrader40.5%32⚔️
T88Lloyd Dane47.6%3
T88Michael Waltrip40.5%32💎1
T88Morgan Shepherd40.7%4
T88Nelson Stacy48.8%22💎
T88Pete Hamilton46.2%21💎
T88Parnelli Jones411.7%4
T88RICKY STENHOUSE JR4≈0.9%31💎
T105AJ ALLMENDINGER3≈0.6%3
T105Aric Almirola30.6%3
T105AUSTIN CINDRIC3≈1.6%31💎
T105Bill Blair32.4%3
T105Brian Vickers30.9%3
T105BUBBA WALLACE3≈0.7%31💎
T105Dick Linder310.7%1
T105Elliott Sadler30.6%2
T105ERIK JONES3≈1.0%32💎1⚔️
T105Frank Mundy35.7%1
T105Gwyn Staley34.3%1
T105Robby Gordon30.7%2
T115Al Keller26.8%1
T115Billy Myers22.3%2
T115Bobby Johns21.4%2
T115DANIEL SUAREZ2≈0.6%2
T115Danny Letner27.4%2
T115David Ragan20.4%2
T115David Reutimann20.8%21💎
T115Derrike Cope20.4%11💎
T115Elmo Langley20.3%1
T115Emanuel Zervakis22.4%1
T115Gober Sosebee22.8%2
T115James Hylton20.3%2
T115Jimmy Pardue20.9%2
T115Jimmy Spencer20.4%1
T115Joe Lee Johnson23.6%21💎
T115John Andretti20.5%2
T115Johnny Beauchamp28.6%2
T115Juan Pablo Montoya20.7%2
T115Marcos Ambrose20.8%2
T115Marvin Porter25.8%2
T115MICHAEL MCDOWELL2≈0.3%21💎
T115Ray Elder26.4%2
T115Red Byron213.3%11 🏆1949
T115Ricky Craven20.7%2
T115Steve Park21.0%2
T115Tim Pistone21.5%1
T144Art Watts15.2%1
T144Bill Amick12.0%1
T144Bill Norton125.0%1
T144Bill Rexford12.7%11 🏆1950
T144Brett Bodine10.2%1
T144Bob Burdick16.6%1
T144Bobby Hillin10.3%1
T144Buddy Shuman13.4%1
T144Casey Mears10.2%11💎
T144Chuck Stevenson150.0%1
T144COLE CUSTER1≈0.8%1
T144Danny Graves111.1%1
T144Danny Weinberg15.8%1
T144Dick Brooks10.2%1
T144Dick Passwater15.0%1
T144Donald Thomas11.2%1
T144Earl Balmer13.1%1
T144Earl Ross13.8%1
T144Frankie Schneider13.7%1
T144Greg Sacks10.3%1
T144Harold Kite111.1%1
T144Harrison Burton10.9%1
T144Jack White18.3%1
T144Jerry Nadeau10.5%1
T144Jim Cook12.5%1
T144Jim Hurtubise12.7%1
T144Jim Roper150.0%1
T144Jimmy Florian13.8%1
T144John Kieper16.2%1
T144John Rostek116.6%1
T144John Soares18.3%1
T144Johnny Allen10.5%1
T144Johnny Benson10.3%1
T144Johnny Mantz18.3%11💎
T144Johnny Rutherford12.8%1
T144JOSH BERRY1≈1.8%1
T144JUSTIN HALEY1≈0.6%1
T144Lake Speed10.2%1
T144Larry Frank10.9%11💎
T144Lennie Pond10.4%1
T144Leon Sales112.5%1
T144Lloyd Moore12.0%1
T144Lou Figaro15.8%1
T144Mario Andretti17.1%11💎
T144Mark Donohue116.6%1
T144Marvin Burke1100%1
T144Neil Cole15.2%1
T144Norm Nelson120.0%1
T144Paul Lewis10.8%1
T144Paul Menard10.2%11💎
T144Phil Parsons10.4%1
T144Regan Smith10.4%11💎
T144Richard Brickhouse12.5%1
T144Ron Bouchard10.6%1
T144Royce Haggerty111.1%1
T144Sam McQuagg11.6%1
T144Shorty Rollins12.3%1
T144Tommy Thompson14.5%1
T144Trevor Bayne10.5%11💎
T144Wendell Scott10.2%1

What did you think of this list? Where does your favorite driver rank? Let us know by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on InstagramFacebook, and YouTube for more updates!