Yet another reason to take seriously the moves being made in the NASCAR Cup Series by Spire Motorsports is the announced hiring on Monday of veteran executive Doug Duchardt.
Most recently, Duchardt served as chief operating officer of Chip Ganassi Racing and oversaw all elements of the competition and business elements of the organization.
This followed a 12-year stint with Hendrick Motorsports, where he was Vice President of Development before transitioning to EVP and General manager, roles that produced seven championships with Jimmie Johnson and a 1-2-3 points finish in 2009.
That was with Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon.
With Ganassi, he oversaw an Indianapolis 500 victory with Marcus Ericsson and four IndyCar Series championships with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou. On the Sports Car side, he oversaw victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.
He was the primary liaison between the team and General Motors.
Spire has invested mightily the past year, reportedly acquiring a third charter from Live Fast Motorsports for $40 million and the assets of the Kyle Busch Motorsports truck series team and machine shop for $25 million.
The team has entered into a partnership with Trackhouse to field a car for Zane Smith. They have Corey Lajoie and Carson Hocevar as their full-time drivers. It is holistically a commitment to joining the Cup Series elite.
“I have been impressed with Spire Motorsports’ incremental growth since its inception,” said Duchardt in a statement. “It’s an exciting opportunity to join the team as we work toward increased competitiveness in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Walking into the facility you can feel the enthusiasm and energy. I am also looking forward to working with my previous teammates at Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing and Hendrick Motorsports as Spire prepares for the 2024 season.”
He will report directly to team co-owner Jeff Dickerson, a former Hendrick employee, during the Duchardt tenure.
“As Spire Motorsports continues to grow, it’s important to add impactful personnel at every level,” Dickerson said. “I’ve known and had a close personal relationship with Doug Duchardt for nearly 20 years. Doug’s resume and body of work speaks for itself. Having him on staff raises our competitive bar immediately. He brings a results-based work ethic to our team that will pay immediate dividends. Our expectations for the impact his presence will make across our entire organization cannot be overstated. He has a rich history with General Motors which has resulted in close and deep personal relationships at the manufacturer level and positions him firmly at the intersection of our crucial relationships with both Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing.”
The team has come into a lot of capital with a partnership with Dan Towriss of Group 1001 and Gainbridge Financial and have made the most of it in terms of internal additions.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider at Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.