Spire Motorsports announced Tuesday that the organization will part ways with Justin Haley as the driver of its No. 7 Chevrolet at the end of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The dismissal comes as the Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Spire indicated that 2026 plans for the No. 7 Chevy would be announced later.
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“This is a decision that was not taken lightly,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a team release. “Justin has been a member of the Spire family since he was a teenager. We’ve watched Justin grow from a young driver trying to make his mark in the sport to a proven winner. He helped strengthen our organization into what it is today. 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.”
Haley’s departure comes roughly one year after he replaced Corey LaJoie at Spire in what was billed as a trade with Rick Ware Racing for the last seven races of the season. Haley ranks 31st in the Cup Series standings, with just one top-five result — a third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in August — and two top 10s this year.
Haley began the season with promise, pairing with championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers. That combination ended after nine races when Spire replaced the veteran Childers with Ryan Sparks, who also serves as the organization’s competition director.
Haley delivered Spire Motorsports its first Cup Series victory, prevailing in a rain-abbreviated summertime event at Daytona in 2019. His first stint with Spire ended after the 2021 season, and he spent two seasons with Kaulig Racing before partnering with Rick Ware’s group for most of the 2024 campaign.
This story will be updated.
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