Everyone knew the first NASCAR Cup Series win for Carson Hocevar would be cause for a big celebration.
We should have known Chili’s would be the site of the party.
The restaurant’s logos were plastered across the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet as Hocevar took the checkered flag first Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, leading to a Victory Lane bash for the entire Spire team.
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That winner’s circle jubilee in Alabama — which featured drivers, crewmen and sponsored guests of all three Spire teams — was quickly going to need a new home. Some 350-plus miles away in Mooresville, North Carolina, one Chili’s restaurant became just the place.
Mel Beckham, general manager of the Mooresville Chili’s, has effectively become a de facto member of Spire, given how often the team’s employees flock to her location. She made it home from her Sunday shift just in time to watch Hocevar earn the win. And once confetti started flying, phones started buzzing.
“All of us are texting with each other, just excited for the win, and super happy for him, and then it just went from there,” Beckham told NASCAR.com in a phone interview. “I got a phone call from my (director of operations) Rachel, who said, ‘Hey, they want to come celebrate at your restaurant.’ So I said, ‘Absolutely, let’s do it.’ And I got dressed and came back to the restaurant. We made it happen from there.”
Beckham’s staff jumped into action immediately for the impromptu party, even purchasing balloons and cakes to decorate before Spire diners began arriving at 8:30 p.m. ET, not even two hours after the checkered flag. The restaurant was opened specifically for a late-night Spire party at 10:30 p.m. with the chain’s signature “Triple Dipper” appetizers and Presidente margaritas flowing until 2:30 a.m. Monday.
Beckham — whose name was on Sunday’s winning race car along with the 1,100-plus Chili’s GMs — said she didn’t need to try hard to convince her staff to stay late for the last-minute bash. They were just as invested in the fun.
“They are so pumped about this partnership, too. They love it,” Beckham said. “Not a single one of them turned their nose up. They were like, ‘What do you need me to do? What do I need to do? Tell me what you need me to do. I’m here for you, and I’ll do it.’ And that’s what they did.”
Those traveling from the track landed back in North Carolina at 11:15 p.m. By the time the at-track travelers walked in the door, at least 75 people from all Spire departments were there to welcome the freshly crowned winners with a warm, jubilant reception.
In the words of Sunday’s winning crew chief, Luke Lambert: “There’s no better place to celebrate than Chili’s.”
With race replays covering every TV, Lambert and Hocevar finally joined the party around midnight, walking through the front door of the restaurant with the cast-iron, near-100-pound Vulcan Trophy that has become synonymous with Talladega. Outside waiting for them was the “Marg Machine,” the No. 77 Chili’s Pontiac Grand Prix donned in Dale Earnhardt’s Wrangler scheme colors, which was driven to the restaurant by a fellow team member.
Brought the trophy home to @Chilis. pic.twitter.com/VhVVeT3Tsn
– Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) April 27, 2026
Lambert’s elation matched that of his team’s, basking in the celebratory atmosphere after helping guide his 23-year-old driver to victory.
“I was shocked to be standing in a Chili’s at 1:30 in the morning, and all the employees who had probably worked the entire day at that location were all just as happy as us and happy to serve us,” Lambert laughed in a phone interview with NASCAR.com. “It was really special and remarkable. I can’t really describe the moment. It couldn’t have been more perfect. It’s awesome.”
SHOP: Hocevar gear
After the Chili’s festivities trickled to a close at 2:30 a.m., roughly 25 team members trundled their way to Lambert’s house, where the party rolled into Monday’s sunrise after a few more drinks and some late-night swims. Hocevar, hydrated by energy drinks instead of alcohol, played the role of designated driver to help transport partygoers.
The victory was a definitive arrival for Hocevar and the No. 77 team. But the celebration that ensued was widespread at Spire.
“It did not feel like a 77-specific win. It felt like a Spire victory,” Lambert said. “And I think that that bond and unity that we have as a team is our biggest strength, and I think it is something that I believe other folks in the sport probably are envious of — or they should be.”