By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Xfinity Series upstart Quin Houff will jump to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 with help from Spire Motorsports.
Coming just four days after the team announced that veteran Jamie McMurray will pilot the team’s debut race in next month’s Daytona 500 driving the No. 40 Chevrolet, the newest team in the Cup Series now has its first multi-start driver in the works.
Making his debut at ISM Raceway in Arizona on March 10, Houff will pilot the team’s No. 77 in “roughly half” the 36-race Cup season.
The 21-year-old Virginian is thrilled to make the ultimate step into Sunday racing.
“I’m so excited to be able to make my Cup debut,” Houff said. “I cannot thank Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr from Spire Motorsports enough for the opportunity to make my dream a reality.”
With 10 starts in the Xfinity Series, Houff jumped out of the gate on debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017, finishing 15th. He finished a highest of 12th at Iowa that year while balancing part-time competition in the ARCA Racing Series and CARS Super Late Model Tour.
“There are thousands of drivers who make racing on Sundays their goal,” he said. “To be one of the few drivers who get to realize that goal is a true blessing. It’s humbling for me to compete at the pinnacle of the sport, but it’s also a testament to all those who stood behind me to this point and those who will continue to do so in the future.”
Spire Sports + Entertainment Executive Jeff Dickerson was impressed with Houff’s background in racing before bringing him on board for 2019.
“We’re eager to get to Phoenix and have Quin in the car for the first of his races with us this season,” Dickerson said. “Quin was very good at finishing races and keeping his equipment intact. That’s one of the most important things to do in order to learn and grow.”
With a steep learning curve en route, both Spire and Houff will approach 2019 as a student year.
“As a rookie, I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about the cars and how they handle and react,” Houff said. “I’m looking forward to learning some new tracks as well as revisiting some others. I’m also anxious to see how these long, 400- and 500-mile races play out. I just want to go out there and put the car where it needs to be because this is the top of the sport and I have to learn how these guys race in order to become a better driver myself.”