James Hinchcliffe to Make NASCAR Truck Series Debut at St. Pete

Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport driver James Hinchcliffe (29) suits up for another round of laps Friday, May 21, 2021, during Fast Friday practice in preparation for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Spire Motorsports made a powerful announcement on Thursday morning as the organization announced the addition of James Hinchcliffe to its driver roster for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street race at St. Petersburg.

Hinchcliffe, a six-time winner in the NTT IndyCar Series, will carry primary sponsorship from Delaware Life on the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado in the event around the 1.8-mile street course, which features 14 turns.

He's no stranger to St. Pete.@Hinchtown will pilot the Delaware Life No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST in @NASCAR_Trucks race at St. Pete.

📰: https://t.co/ZbKizJQWzC pic.twitter.com/mkoZy65SHs

— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) February 12, 2026

Hinchcliffe is excited to compete in a NASCAR event at the track where he scored his first IndyCar win.

"I am super excited to run my first truck race at St. Pete," Hinchcliffe said in a team press release. "When they announced the trucks would be running there, I knew I had to try to make somethig happen because I just love this track and I have always wanted to try something in the NASCAR world. I have been in the Spire family for a long time, so it just made sense to run with them. I can't thank Dan {Towriss), Jeff (Dickerson), Bill (Anthony) - really everyone at Spire - enough for making this come together."

But Hinchcliffe knows racing a NASCAR truck will be a completely different animal than he's used to.

"It will be a baptism of fire," Hinchcliffe added. "Having my first race in a truck being on a street course with no room for error, but these races always look like so much fun, so I am really looking forward to the opportunity. Plus, I love that it's going to be shown on FOX Sports, with some of my IndyCar colleagues joining the broadcast, so that should add an extra layer of fun to it."

Spire Motorsports is curious how the driver, who retired from IndyCar competition in 2021, will fare behind the wheel of its race truck.

“James had an amazing open-wheel career with wins and poles across all kinds of formulas, but I’m not even sure he’s ever watched a NASCAR race,” quipped Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “I know it means a little more to (Co-Owner) Dan (Towriss) and I, personally, to be able to do this with him, and when he called Dan and wanted to give it a go it seemed right on brand for all of us. This definitely won’t be the first time we’ve been out on a ledge together. We’re all really grateful to Delaware Life for coming along for the ride and giving us a weekend to remember.”

In addition to competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at St. Petersburg, Hinchcliffe will also head to the broadcasting booth, where he will be paert of the announce team for the NTT IndyCar Series event at St. Petersburg.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series street race at St. Petersburg, an 80-lap contest, is set for Saturday, February 28, and will be televised on FOX with coverage set to kick off at noon ET.