What’s Next For NASCAR’s Justin Haley And Spire Motorsports

NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 18: Justin Haley, driver of the #7 NationsGuard Chevrolet, looks on prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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Spire Motorsports confirmed Tuesday that driver Justin Haley will leave the organization following the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway, ending a relationship that dates back to the team’s earliest days.

In a joint statement, the team said plans for its No. 7 Chevrolet in 2026 “will be announced at a later date,” leaving open the inevitable question of who replaces Haley—and where one of NASCAR’s youngest veterans might land next.

For Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson, the decision was clearly more complicated than it might appear on paper.

“This is a decision that was not taken lightly,” Dickerson said. “Justin has been a member of the Spire family since he was a teenager… He made us winners and returned home after forging his own path in the Cup Series. Justin is the embodiment of a true racer who has quietly become a respected competitor within the NASCAR garage and will be an incredible asset to his next team.”

That kind of language—“family,” “winners,” “true racer”—isn’t corporate boilerplate. It’s a send-off. It seems to signal a mutual respect and an understanding that both sides have taken the relationship as far as it can go.

A Quiet Competitor At A Crossroads

Haley, now 26, has done something few drivers in NASCAR can claim: score a win at every level of NASCAR’s national ladder. Since his 2016 ARCA East championship, he’s logged 338 starts across the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series—collecting one Cup win, four Xfinity victories, and three in Trucks. Only 40 others in NASCAR history can claim that triple-threat distinction.

He first drove for Spire in 2019, scoring his and the team’s first Cup victory at Daytona—a rain-shortened stunner that still stands as a turning point for the then-startup organization. He returned full-time in 2024 after two seasons with Kaulig Racing, but the partnership never quite translated into consistent top-10 runs.

Performance aside, Haley has earned a reputation as a cerebral, disciplined driver who doesn’t tear up equipment and keeps sponsors happy. That profile will matter in a Cup era where funding and charter security weigh just as heavily as lap times.

Spire’s Next Move

For Spire, electing to part ways with Haley gives a bit of insight into how the team wants to move ahead. The organization has expanded its shop footprint, added depth on the technical side, and brought in respected crew chiefs in recent seasons. In short, Spire is acting like a team that expects to win.

That means a driver needs to show measurable progress, something that sadly seemed to be missing this season. Replacing Haley could signal that Spire is ready to chase a more experienced hand—think Daniel Suárez or Ricky Stenhouse Jr.—or perhaps roll the dice on a rising star from the Xfinity or Truck ranks such as Corey Heim. Each option tells a different story: Suárez brings name value and sponsors, Stenhouse offers a veteran’s insights, and Heim represents long-term potential at a lower price point.

In the end it’s a business decision shrouded in the language of performance. In today’s Cup Series, the cost of a charter alone hovers near $40 million; every seat has to show its ROI not just on Sundays, but during the week in the corporate boardrooms where the checks are written.

Where Haley Goes Next

The more intriguing question might be where Haley goes from here.

Some are pointing to Kaulig Racing as a natural landing spot if a seat opens. He has history with the organization and could offer a cost-effective replacement should Kaulig shuffle its lineup. Maybe we see Haley landing with a smaller chartered team such as Rick Ware Racing or a potential new entrant for 2026, where his technical feedback and sponsor friendliness would be assets.

A longer shot is a one-year reset in the Xfinity Series, a route that’s revived careers before.

The Path Forward

Haley’s career path from here looks a bit like a three-lane highway—one smooth, one steady, and one that leads straight into a tire barrier.

The fast lane is a return to a mid-pack team with upward momentum—maybe Kaulig, maybe a Trackhouse satellite—where he can trade stability for another shot at relevance.

The middle lane keeps him where he is: inside the Cup garage, in the mix, holding steady until opportunity strikes. It’s not flashy, but survival in NASCAR is often its own form of success.

And then there’s the slow lane, where he steps back to Xfinity or runs part-time while waiting for the right seat to open. It’s a humbling path, but it beats the alternative—watching from home on Sundays.

A Split Without Bitterness

In NASCAR, breakups rarely end with polite handshakes. This one just might. Spire gets room to chase bigger ambitions, and Haley gets something every driver craves more than horsepower—another chance.

This is a sport where fortunes rise and fall between pit stops, where careers are measured not in years but in sponsors. Both sides are betting on growth, not grief. And for Haley, who won his first Cup race when the rain came early, the hope now is simple: that the next storm holds off long enough for him to finish what he started. For Spire they hope to see a bit more sunshine.