Spire Motorsports picks Patrick Emerling over 67-time NASCAR Truck Series race winner for Pocono race

Spire Motorsports decided to put Patrick Emerling in the 07 truck for the upcoming Pocono Truck Series race over Kyle Busch, the 67-time Truck Series race winner. Emerling, who has just three Truck races to his name, will race in the Spire Truck at the MillerTech Battery 200.

Jeff Dickerson co-owned Spire's three full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as four full-time cars in the Truck Series. While the team has Rajah Caruth and Andrez Perez de Lara in the 71 and 77 trucks permanently, they have rotating roles for the 7 and 07 trucks.

Drivers like Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Sammy Smith, Nick Sanchez, BJ McLeod, and Corey LaJoie have raced in the 07 Truck, while Justin Haley, Busch, Carson Hocevar, Corey Day, and Smith have raced in the 7 Truck.

However, for the 80-lap, 200-mile Truck race at the Pocono Raceway, at Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Spire decided to put Emerling in charge of the 07 Truck. Sharing the update, renowned NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass wrote on X:

"Patrick Emerling will drive the Spire No. 07 truck at Pocono."

Emerling is a professional stock car racing driver and a team owner. Besides racing for Spire, he also drives for Henderson Motorsports in the Truck Series and SS Green Light Racing in the Truck Series.

Emerling's last Truck Series appearance came at the 2025 Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro, where he drove the #75 truck for Henderson Motorsports. He finished the race in 19th place after starting from 32nd place.

Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series driver and one of the most successful Truck Series drivers, drove the #07 Spire Truck at this race and finished in ninth place. Chandler Smith claimed the race win, ahead of Layne Riggs and Tyler Ankrum.

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Spire Motorsports to have Carson Hocevar in the 7 Truck for Pocono

While Spire Motorsports already has Rajah Caruth and Andres Perez in the 71 and 77 Trucks, they decided to put Carson Hocevar in the 7 truck alongside Patrick Emerling's 07 Chevrolet Truck in the Pocono Raceway Truck Series race.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar (77) of Spire Motorsports during the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Hocevar is a full-time Cup Series driver for Spire Motorsports, a category in which he has been excelling coming into this season. Hocevar drives the #77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 alongside Michael McDowell and Justin Haley.

The 22-year-old driver from Portage, Michigan, is in 20th place in the NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship with 313 points after 16 races. So far, he has racked up a pole position, two Top 5s, three Top 10s, and led 70 laps. Hocevar's average start position has been 19.375, and his average finish position has been 22.813.