There are rumors going around that Andretti Autosport is doing a lot more than just putting Marco Andretti into a Spire Motorsports truck. With the addition of Gainbridge as a primary sponsor for Spire, the writing on the wall seems clear. Andretti is using this chance to test the waters and see if NASCAR is a place that they want to invest and compete in.
According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, it isn’t a coincidence that Gainbridge made the move to Spire. It also isn’t a coincidence that Marco was driving the No. 7 Group 1001 truck at Mid-Ohio. Group 1001 owns Gainbridge, a massive sponsor in IndyCar for the Andretti Autosport team.
The announcement of the Gainbridge-Spire deal in early July raised the curiosity of many fans and others in the NASCAR world. Marco drove that Spire truck, then went to Pocono and was seen with the team. He was also spotted wearing a Spire Motorsports hat on social media.
While Andretti is dipping their toe into NASCAR, the picture isn’t completely clear. The focus for that organization is to get a ride in F1 as soon as they can. However, making a move to NASCAR might not be a bad idea in the meantime.
There is no plan on if or when the two organizations could join forces. If Andretti Autosport and Spire Motorsports join forces, there are many ways it could shake out. Maybe the team keeps the name Spire, adds Andretti to the name, or it becomes Andretti straight up.
Depending on what happens, a charter could be sold. That charter could fetch more than $30 million according to the SBJ report. A big payday, and a big investment for the two sides involved in that hypothetical deal.
Corey LaJoie signs extension amid Andretti Autosport rumors
One thing that makes a lot more sense amid all of this, is the Corey LaJoie extension. One would think that LaJoie would test free agency and try to see who wants to pick him up. However, the driver decided to double down on his team and sign a contract extension.
The Gainbridge deal was announced on July 5, and then it was reported that Spire and LaJoie were coming to an agreement on a new deal. Whatever is going on behind the scenes between Andretti Autosport and Spire, I’m sure LaJoie is in the loop.
There is that old saying, where there’s smoke, there’s fire – well, there seems to be a lot of smoke coming from that Spire group. The team also recently switched crew chiefs for Ty Dillon. A lot of new and exciting things happening over there and it could be leading to a major announcement.
It really feels like there is excitement and interest in NASCAR like there hasn’t been in a number of years.
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