Spire Motorsports announced that Chase Elliott will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado at North Wilkesboro, making his first start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since the 2023 season-opener at Daytona. HendrickCars.com will sponsor the effort.
This race was scheduled to be one of Kyle Busch's 2026 Truck appearances with Spire, before his unexpected passing last month.
The No. 7 Spire truck has featured various drivers this year, including Busch, Rajah Caruth, Connor Mosack, Corey Day, Sammy Smith, and McDowell. Busch was the only driver to win with the entry during the 2026 season, earning the final two wins of his NASCAR career with the team this year.
Elliott only has 18 previous Truck starts, winning three races in 2013 (CTMP), 2017 (Martinsville), and 2020 (Charlotte). NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has never raced a truck at North Wilkesboro before. In the Cup Series, he has finishes of fifth, eighth, and fifth in the All-Star Race at the historic short track.
Elliott just made his first start of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly season one week ago, finishing second at Chicagoland.
In the Cup Series, Elliott has two wins this year, and leads Hendrick Motorsports in fifth in the championship standings.
