Spire Motorsports made a significant move on Monday, announcing that Stephen Doran will take over as crew chief for veteran driver Michael McDowell in the NASCAR Cup Series next year, running the No. 71 Chevrolet. Doran is making the transition from Trackhouse Racing, where he spent the last three years and most recently worked with driver Shane van Gisbergen on the No. 97 Chevy.
That stint at Trackhouse brought serious success, yielding seven Cup Series wins and five pole positions across the last two seasons with van Gisbergen. Before his time with the Justin Marks-owned organization, Doran logged 11 seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, famously claiming a Cup Series championship in 2014 as part of the No. 4 team with Kevin Harvick.
The timing felt right to return to Spire Motorsports. Coming back to the No. 71 team is something I've thought about since leaving at the end of 2024,
Now, Doran steps into the fold to replace Travis Peterson. Peterson had been paired with McDowell for the last four seasons—spanning two years with Front Row Motorsports and two with Spire—a partnership highlighted by McDowell's victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023. McDowell finished the 20th in the standings and missed the postseason field for the last three consecutive seasons, while van Gisbergen wrapped up the year 17th in the standings after narrowly missing The Chase presented by Mobil 1 field.
For Doran, the decision to return is a homecoming of sorts. "The timing felt right to return to Spire Motorsports. Coming back to the No. 71 team is something I've thought about since leaving at the end of 2024," Doran said in a press release. He also expressed gratitude for his time at Trackhouse, thanking Justin Marks and calling Shane van Gisbergen a world-class driver and person.
Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson shares the enthusiasm for the reunion. "Our 2027 season starts today, so we're eager to bring Stephen back to Spire Motorsports," Dickerson said in a team release, pointing to Doran's championship pedigree and the strength of a technical group that includes Matt McCall, Ryan Sparks, Luke Lambert, and Dax Garringer as the organization eyes consistent race-winning form.
