Michael McDowell’s move to drive the No. 71 car for Spire Motorsports next season paved the way for crew chief Travis Peterson to make the same move.

McDowell and Peterson paired up with the No. 34 car for Front Row Motorsports for the past two seasons. McDowell has two career wins and one with Peterson as his crew chief after finding the winner’s circle on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023.

Spire Motorsports will race three cars next season. In addition to the No. 71 car, the No. 77 will be driven by Carson Hocevar, with Luke Lambert as the crew chief. Rodney Childers will be the crew chief of the No. 7 car, which does not yet have a driver.

“It’s exciting to have Travis Peterson join Spire Motorsports,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt in a statement on Tuesday. “… He’s going to add tremendous depth to our crew chief lineup and be a great compliment to Luke and Rodney. I’m really excited to see what those three can do together.”

Peterson also had five years of experience at Roush Fenway Racing as the lead race engineer.

“It is a very exciting opportunity,” Peterson said in a statement. “… I love the energy right now and the overall culture around Spire Motorsports. They’re investing in people and team ownership is highly engaged.

–Field Level Media