Marco Andretti will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut this weekend with a drive for Spire Motorsports.
Andretti, the IndyCar veteran and reigning Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series champion, will drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado with sponsorship from Group 1001. It will be Andretti’s second start in NASCAR after running in the Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte Roval last fall where he finished 36th.
Mid-Ohio hosts the Truck Series in a standalone event this weekend. The series will hold practice and qualifying Friday afternoon before competing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 on Saturday afternoon.
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“I can’t wait to get my feet wet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,” Andretti said. “I’m grateful for Group 1001 and Spire Motorsports for making this happen. I have a lot of laps in an Indy car around Mid-Ohio. It’s going to be a bit different but a lot of fun. The Cup Series guys I have spoken to said I will love it.”
Andretti has 15 starts at Mid-Ohio in the IndyCar Series. He is also preparing to defend his title in the SRX series, which starts July 13.
The news of Andretti’s debut came as Spire Motorsports announced a multiyear partnership with Gainbridge for its two NASCAR Cup Series teams. Gainbridge will have rotating sponsorship on the No. 7, driven by Corey LaJoie, and No. 77 Chevrolet, driven by Ty Dillon, through the remainder of the season.
We're announcing a multi-year partnership with @GainbridgeLife, a @Group_1001 company. Gainbridge will be primary on @CoreyLaJoie's or @tydillon's car starting this weekend! Group 1001 will be primary on the 7 truck, driven by @MarcoAndretti at Mid-Ohio. https://t.co/aAEq9eW566 pic.twitter.com/RWBLPXIhC9
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) July 5, 2023
“We look forward to partnering with Spire Motorsports, Corey, and Ty and adding to the robust Gainbridge motorsports sponsorship portfolio,” said Mike Nichols, chief of sponsorship strategy and activation at Group 1001. “We are excited to watch Marco compete at Mid-Ohio this weekend in the Group 1001 paint scheme alongside Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez, who has had a successful rookie campaign competing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship carrying the Gainbridge colors.”