Fresh off a triple Top-10 at Watkins Glen, Spire Motorsports continues to build their team up. On Friday, Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced a driver swap. Justin Haley will be heading to the 51 car while Haley is set to pilot the 7. While this was expected, the surprise from the announcement is that the swap will occur after Bristol. Starting next weekend for Kansas, Haley and LaJoie will be driving for their news team. This will be the first mid-season Cup driver trade since 2003 with Jeff Green and Steve Park. As for 2025, Spire Motorsports confirmed that Justin Haley will be in the 7 for 2025 as well. Also, Rodney Childers is currently lined up to be Haley’s crew chief in 2025. Meanwhile, Rick Ware Racing will evaluate LaJoie over the next 7 weeks for a potential 2025 ride.
NEWS: Familiar faces in new places!
Starting at @kansasspeedway through the end of 2024, @Justin_Haley_ will drive the @SpireMotorsport No. 7, while @CoreyLaJoie will drive the @RickWareRacing No. 51. pic.twitter.com/EClL89kSDM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2024
To touch on this briefly, Rick Ware Racing not announcing Corey LaJoie for 2025 is not a shocker. Nor is it an indication that he is not the leading candidate for a fulltime ride with them next season. Currently, RWR is a significant piece of the Kroger/RFK Racing third entry rumor that is floating out there. IF RFK does end up with a third fulltime ride, the likely scenario would see RWR either lease or sell one of their charters to RFK. Assuming those negotiations are ongoing, Rick Ware will want to see how that situation unfolds before locking up a driver for 2025. If there is only one-chartered ride available within the organization, RWR will want to ensure they are putting the best driver possible in that ride. More than likely though, it will be Corey LaJoie.
As for the focus of this analysis, Spire Motorsports has set their Cup lineup for 2025: Michael McDowell in the 71, Carson Hocevar in the 77, and now Justin Haley in the 7. Along with bringing in Rodney Childers, Spire has stepped up their game in terms of rostering their team. Last year demonstrated the signs of this, as Spire bought a third charter and Kyle Busch Motorsports. With this driver swap, Spire Motorsports should be the frontrunner to be the breakout team of 2025.
Heading into next season, Spire Motorsports has significantly improved from where they are today. Justin Haley is widely considered a great, young driver who maximizes his equipment. Plus, Haley owns the only Cup win for Spire Motorsports. Carson Hocevar looks set to win Rookie of the Year, churning out Top-20s with steady consistency since the summer. To go along with the young drivers, Michael McDowell will be the veteran presence who can help boost the overall team. McDowell had a heavy hand in bringing Front Row Motorsports to where they are today. No reason why that cannot translate to Spire. Perhaps the most significant move of this silly season though was adding Rodney Childers. Not only for Justin Haley as his crew chief, but surely Spire will give authority for Childers to upgrade the organization where it needs.
Will all of these moves translate to better performance? It should, and it better. On paper, the trio of drivers Spire is bringing to the track measures up well to other teams. If Spire fails next season, it will not be due to personnel. However, Spire Motorsports has seemingly put their money to good use. While Corey LaJoie’s season has been a massive disappointment, Carson Hocevar has proven that the equipment can be in the mix for Top-10s regularly. More recently, Zane Smith is joining Hocevar with better performances. Hell, even LaJoie has 3 straight Top-15s heading into this weekend.
On paper, 2025 should be a fantastic season for the organization. Saying they could (or should) make the playoffs feels a bit cheap, especially considering the playoff field this season. However, a reasonable expectation for this team would be all three cars being in the Top-25 in points. The goal should be all three in the Top-20. Currently, Carson Hocevar and the 77 team sit the best out of the Spire entries at 21st.
Can Spire Motorsports compete with the big hitters? Once again, the “on paper” answer is yes. Now, that is not saying Spire Motorsports will rack up multiple wins, lock all three of their drivers into the playoffs, and run for a championship. However, there is no reason to think Spire cannot replicate what a mid-level team does, such as Trackhouse Racing or 23XI Racing. What does that mean? Consistent Top-10 speed with numerous chances at wins throughout the season.
Spire Motorsports should find victory lane next season. One of their drivers should also be in the playoffs. Many would point to Michael McDowell to be the flagbearer, but it could be any of the three. Honestly, there is a realistic scenario where McDowell runs the worst of the three.
Outside of unexpected regression from Justin Haley and Carson Hocevar, those two should be leading the way for this team. That is the future for Spire Motorsports. Especially Haley, who has a bit more on record to bank than Hocevar. Adding a driver who maximizes equipment while taking care of it is critical for the success of a team. Throw in a championship winning crew chief and that could spell a massive surge in results. Expect to see many playoff predictions during the preseason with Justin Haley featured.
Between Haley, Hocevar, and McDowell, the future for Spire Motorsports is certainly bright. After years of building the race team, 2025 might finally be the season where the efforts of ownership will be rewarded greatly. Under the right circumstances, multiple Spire drivers making and advancing through the playoffs would not be a surprise. Currently, there is a high ceiling for how well Spire Motorsports can run next season. Will the organization rise to meet these lofty expectations?
