Andretti, 36, has just one previous start at the national level of the sport. Last year, he ran the NASCAR Xfinity race at the Charlotte Roval, finishing 36th after being collected in a mid-race crash.
His Truck debut will come this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, driving the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. Gainbridge will serve as the primary sponsor.
Spire has entered select races this year with Jonathan Davenport, Corey LaJoie, Alex Bowman (who DNQed due to a flat tire), and Kyle Larson.
Larson won the race at North Wilkesboro with Spire, leading over half the event. It was the second victory for the team, having also won at Martinsville last year with William Byron.
Although new to NASCAR, Andretti is a veteran of IndyCar racing. The third-generation racer has over 250 IndyCar starts with two victories. He’s also started 18 consecutive Indianapolis 500s.
Additionally, Andretti is the reigning SRX Series champion, beating Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte to the title.
“I can’t wait to get my feet wet in the NASCAR Crafstman Truck Series,” said Andretti in a release from the team. “I’m grateful for Group 1001 and Spire Motorsports for making this happen. I have a lot of laps in an Indy car around Mid-Ohio. It’s going to be a bit different but a lot of fun. The Cup Series’ guys I have spoken to said I will love it.”
He’s no stranger to Mid-Ohio either, with over a dozen IndyCar starts at the road course and a best finish of sixth.