Spire Motorsports announced Monday that Stephen Doran will serve as crew chief of the No. 71 Chevrolet for veteran driver Michael McDowell in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.
Doran will make the move from Trackhouse Racing’s No. 97 Chevy and driver Shane van Gisbergen at season’s end. He replaces Travis Peterson, who has been paired with McDowell for the last four seasons — two with Front Row Motorsports and two with Spire.
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Doran has worked the last three years with Trackhouse, scoring seven Cup Series wins and five pole positions in the last two seasons with van Gisbergen. Before joining the Justin Marks-owned organization, Doran spent 11 seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing and was part of the No. 4 team that claimed the Cup Series championship with Kevin Harvick in 2014.
Van Gisbergen ended the season 17th in the Cup Series standings, having just missed The Chase presented by Mobil 1 field.
“I’m incredibly thankful to Justin (Marks) for giving me the opportunity to be a crew chief at Trackhouse,” Doran said in a press release. “I’m equally grateful for the opportunity to work alongside SVG. He’s a world-class driver on the track and an even better person away from it. I’ll truly miss the people and relationships I’ve built within the Trackhouse family.
“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. What Jeff, Dan (Towriss), and the entire organization have built in such a short time is impressive, and I’m excited to be part of what’s ahead. I can’t wait to get to work with Michael and the entire team as we push to become a consistent race-winning organization for years to come.”
“Our 2027 season starts today, so we’re eager to bring Stephen back to Spire Motorsports,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a team release. “He’s an exceptionally talented individual, a winning crew chief and someone who fits in with our group, seamlessly. Spire had a great 2026 season, so we have a lot to be proud of. Adding Stephen to the mix with Matt McCall and reuniting him with Ryan (Sparks), Luke (Lambert) and Dax (Garringer) gives me a lot of confidence that our best days as an organization are still in front of us.”
Peterson helped guide McDowell to the most recent of his Cup Series victories, prevailing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023 — their first year together. McDowell has been on the outside of the Cup Series postseason field the last three seasons and finished 20th in the standings.