Indianapolis, IN — Spire Motorsports officially announced their expansion into sprint car racing on Thursday, ending months of speculation and rumors around the team’s growing interests in the world of dirt racing. The announcement, made during the first day of the annual PRI trade show in Indianapolis, featured a #77 Chili’s 410 sprint car that will compete full-time on the 2026 Kubota High Limit schedule with driver Gio Scelzi and crew chief Eric Prutzman. The team will operate out of the Spire Motorsports headquarters in Charlotte and will also receive some assistance from Clauson-Marshall Racing. The team also announced that Scelzi would compete in next month’s Chili Bowl in a #77 Chili ‘s-sponsored midget prepared by Keith Kunz.
The road to dirt for Spire began subtly in 2024 when the brand appeared on the nose wing of Tyler Courtney’s #7bc car. They returned in 2025 and were joined by Gainbridge on the top wing. Rumors swirled for much of the season that Spire was looking to increase their presence in dirt racing, specifically sprint car racing, which has seen a popularity boost in recent years thanks to stars like Kyle Larson and Rico Abreu. Two weeks ago, those rumors were given wings when the team officially purchased the newly acquired the “9 card” franchise from High Limit team Jason Myers Racing. Team co-owner Jeff Dickerson was quick to point out the team’s desire for dirt racing runs deep, saying “Going on the road with High Limit is like a dream come true and to do this with people I have deep respect and appreciation for makes it even better” before adding “We are not a NASCAR team that is going dirt racing. We are dirt racers who happen to have a NASCAR team. This is in our blood, and we can’t wait to get to Vegas in March.”.
For Scelzi, the move puts him with a well-funded team with Spire and a championship crew chief in Prutzman, who was the mastermind behind all of Brad Sweet’s six sprint car championships in the World of Outlaws and High Limit Series. Scelzi, the 2023 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year winner, began the 2025 season piloting the KCP Racing #18 in the World of Outlaws before abruptly leaving the team during the King’s Royal week at Eldora in July. The next week, he was tabbed to fill in for the remainder of the 2025 High Limit schedule in the Clauson-Marshall #7bc, after Tyler Courtney was injured at Eldora. When asked about the challenges of being part of a new team, Scelzi was confident, saying, “I feel like it’s an advantage to start a team from scratch, because you can piece together every part and piece you want. There’s nothing left over from a previous guy or previous team that you’re kind of working with parts you don’t want. We can start fresh from a clean slate.”
This is a big opportunity for all involved and comes during an exciting time for sprint car racing. This season will see the official launch of the new franchise system in High Limit, which will give teams a better chance to build a sustainable business for the long haul. This new system has already resulted in a few big moves, including Tony Stewart Racing, which is moving over to High Limit after 25 years in the World of Outlaws. It truly feels like the wheels of change are spinning in the world of sprint car racing.
Image sourced via Gio Scelzi Social Media