NASCAR insider predicts Corey LaJoie, Justin Haley car swap for rest of 2024 season
Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports will host a joint press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET “to announce details regarding their respective driver lineups.” According to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, the expectation is that the two teams will announce a driver swap for 2025, with Corey LaJoie headed to RWR and Justin Haley going to Spire.
The press conference will take place inside the deadline room of the infield media center. RWR president Robby Benton and Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson will be in attendance.
Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic previously reported that RWR was viewed as the likely landing spot for LaJoie, whom Spire announced in July would not return to the team in 2025 LaJoie, 32, has had a tough final season with Spire, though the results have picked up recently. In his last three starts, he’s finished P9, P15 and P8 at Darlington, Atlanta and Watkins Glen, respectively. The top 10s at Darlington and Watkins Glen were his first ever in the Cup Series at a non-superspeedway.
LaJoie had faith that a Cup Series ride would be available to him, and it appears that’s on the way.
“My phone’s going, and people are interested in making calls,” LaJoie said on Aug. 23. “But every good door in my life that’s been opened hasn’t been opened by myself. I wasn’t the one ripping those doors open. They were open, and I had to walk through those when the time was right. So, I have faith. And I have confidence that the next door, whether it’s on Sundays [Cup] or not, is going to open.”
Corey LaJoie, Justin Haley look to have found new homes in 2025
Haley, 25, became of high interest to several teams during Silly Season. Even with a year remaining on his contract at RWR, it always appeared 2025 would bring along a better opportunity. He looks to have found that with Spire, and if the No. 7 car is his ride, he will be paired with one of the sport’s most accomplished crew chiefs in Rodney Childers.
Haley has raced his way to ninth place finishes at the Darlington spring race and Gateway this season. While he sits 32nd in the points standings, he’s a driver with a wealth of experience in the Cup Series (132 starts) who in better equipment, could soon put it all together.