October 13, 2024

Lajoie and Haley to Swap Seats as of Kansas

Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing revealed on Friday that they will be swapping drivers Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie, starting with the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Beginning next weekend, LaJoie will drive the RWR No. 51 Ford, while Haley will take over the No. 7 Spire Chevrolet for the remaining seven races of the season. This announcement was made during a joint press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway, featuring Robby Benton, president of Rick Ware Racing, Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson, and both drivers.

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday night (7 PM ET, USA, NBC Sports App, PRN Radio, SiriusXM) will mark the final race for each driver in their current cars. Dickerson mentioned that Haley is set to be the No. 7 team’s driver in 2025, alongside new crew chief Rodney Childers. Benton noted that Rick Ware Racing will reassess its plans for the upcoming season after these final races.

Haley joined Rick Ware Racing this season after signing a multiyear deal in July 2023. At just 25 years old, he is returning to Spire, the team that launched his Cup Series career in 2019, where he achieved his first victory in only his third start at Daytona International Speedway.

Meanwhile, LaJoie, 32, has been with Spire since the start of the 2021 season. Although he signed a multiyear extension in August 2023, he announced in late July that he would not continue with the No. 7 Chevrolet next year.

In the current Cup Series standings, LaJoie is ranked 28th with three top-10 finishes this season, while Haley sits at 32nd, having secured two top-10s in 2024.