Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports will swap drivers early to get a jump on 2025, the NASCAR Cup Series teams announced Friday.
Following Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Corey LaJoie will drive RWR’s No 51 Ford Mustang and Justin Haley will take the wheel of Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. They will debut for their new teams at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 29.
LaJoie, who turns 33 on Wednesday, joined Spire in 2021. He has three top-10 finishes in 29 starts this season, including a fourth-place run at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18.
“Corey LaJoie has been a cornerstone of Spire Motorsports and we’re incredibly appreciative of all the time, effort and energy he has invested in our program,” Spire Motorsports president Jeff Dickerson said. “RWR is getting a workhorse in Corey. He’s dedicated to his craft and his tenacity brings out the best in those around him.”
Haley, 25, is in his first season with Rick Ware Racing. He has a pair of top-10 finishes in 29 starts this year, including a ninth-place showing at Darlington on May 12.
“Justin Haley is a very talented driver who has done a lot to help elevate RWR,” team president Robby Benton said. “Justin came to us over the Olympic break with a longer-term opportunity that would serve his career well. We were sympathetic to his desires, as Justin committed to RWR early last year and has since played a key role in the growth of our organization. We didn’t want to compromise his growth or our own. In our talks with Justin following the break, we agreed to release him from his contract with RWR.”
In July 2019, Haley recorded his first Cup Series win and the first for Spire Motorsports at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.
–Field Level Media