Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports Grow Racing Programs for 2027
Autoweek · Deb Williams · 2026-09-10T22:05:28+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Two NASCAR Cup organizations are expanding their motorsports footprint in 2027.
Rick Ware Racing will field a two-car effort in the NASCAR Canada Series, while Spire Motorsports will have a full-time entry next year with dirt late model standout Nick Hoffman.
D.J. Kennington (top), the only driver to compete in every NASCAR Canada Series race, will drive RWR’s No. 51 Chevrolet. The driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet entry will be announced later. This marks RWR’s return to the NASCAR Canada Series where it competed with two cars in 2021.
In addition to NASCAR, RWR’s racing portfolio includes the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel class, Progressive American Flat Track, FIM World Supercross Championship, and the zMAX CARS Tour.
Kennington is scheduled to make his 241st career start in this season’s finale at Delaware Speedway in Ontario, Canada. The St. Thomas, Ontario, native is a two-time NASCAR Canada Series champion and has recorded 25 victories, 126 top fives, and 202 top 10s, along with 17 poles and 3,969 laps led. He also has finished among the top three in points 13 times, including a record four runner-up results.
Hoffman is scheduled to make his debut with Spire in the December 3–5 Gateway Dirt Nationals at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. He finished fifth in last year’s event. A Mooresville, North Carolina, resident and the 2023 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year, has recorded more than 20 feature victories along with more than 100 top-five and 150 top-10 finishes.
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson noted that Hoffman had been a “great coach” to Carson Hocevar, who’s in this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
Currently, Hoffman is second in the 2026 World of Outlaws Late Models point standings with six victories, 36 top fives, and 42 top 10s after 45 events. He also has competed in several Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model and FloRacing Night in America events. In 64 feature events this year, Hoffman has recorded nine victories, 48 top fives, and 58 top 10s.
Nicknamed “The Thrill from Mooresville,” Hoffman previously raced open-wheel dirt modifieds. He is a five-time DIRTcar Summer National Champion, topping the series’ win list with 69 feature victories.
Originally from Belleville, Illinois, Hoffman is the only driver to win seven-consecutive UMP Modified Big Gator championships. This year, he secured the dirt late model points title at the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia (Florida) Speedway Park.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.