Spire Motorsports and Justin Haley have agreed to end their relationship after the final race at Phoenix Raceway. Haley is currently running his first full season back with the team, sitting 31st in the championship standings with one top-5 and two top-10 finishes in 33 out of 36 races. The seat of the Chevrolet No. 7 will become vacant, and the team will announce its plans for 2026 at a later date.
Haley Has Not Recaptured the Level He Showed with Kaulig Racing in 2022
Haley competed full-time in the Cup Series for the first time in 2022 with Kaulig Racing, where he finished 22nd in the championship with three top-5s and four top-10s. His average finish that year was 18.4. He returned to Spire in September 2024 for seven races and is completing his first full season back with the team this year.
The results have not improved. Haley is 31st in points with an average finish of 22.1. He has only managed one top-5 and two top-10s in 33 races, his worst record since he started competing full-time in the series.
"This was not a decision that was taken lightly," said Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports. "Justin has been a member of the Spire family since he was a teenager. We have watched him grow from a young driver trying to make a name for himself in the sport to an established winner. He helped strengthen our organization into what it is today."
This was not a decision that was taken lightly. Justin has been a member of the Spire family since he was a teenager. We have watched him grow from a young driver trying to make a name for himself in the sport to an established winner. He helped strengthen our organization into what it is today.
Photo By Carlos Castillo
2019 Daytona Win Was the Team's First Victory in the Cup Series
Haley made his Cup Series debut on April 28, 2019, at Talladega Superspeedway, on his 20th birthday. He finished 32nd. Six weeks later, he won at Daytona International Speedway, securing his first victory in the series and also the first for Spire.
Haley made 34 starts with Spire between 2019 and 2020 while competing full-time in the Xfinity Series. In total, he has run 74 of his 177 Cup Series races with the team, achieving one win, six top-5s, and 18 top-10s.
McDowell and Hocevar Are Ahead of Haley in the Championship Standings
Michael McDowell joined Spire in 2025 and holds 21st place in points with three top-5s and five top-10s. Carson Hocevar, who was Rookie of the Year in 2024, sits 23rd with two top-5s and eight top-10s in his second season with the team.
Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr founded Spire in 2018 by purchasing a charter from Furniture Row Racing. The team grew from one to three cars, adding a second car in 2021 and a third charter in 2024 by purchasing it from Live Fast Motorsports. It currently employs 82 people in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Since 2019, Spire has accumulated one win, 15 top-5s, and 39 top-10s in 495 Cup Series races.
Photo By Carlos Castillo
Rumors Link Daniel Suárez to the Vacant No. 7 Seat
Daniel Suárez became available after Trackhouse Racing announced on July 1st that they would end their relationship at the conclusion of 2025. Suárez expressed feeling relieved by the decision, indicating that the chemistry with the team had faded. Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse, mentioned that the decision was part of long-term strategic planning.
Suárez has run 34 of the 36 races this year, with two top-5s and seven top-10s. His best result was a second place at Las Vegas, where he lost the lead to Josh Berry with 13 laps to go. His average finish is 21.18 with nine DNFs.
Specialized press reports link Suárez to the Spire No. 7 for 2026, although there is no official confirmation. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. The decision could depend on financial factors and the team's relationship with Chevrolet.
Haley Has Won in All Three NASCAR National Series
Haley won the 2016 ARCA Menards Series East championship at 17 years old, being the only driver in the history of that series to finish in the top 10 in every race of the season. He has accumulated 338 starts across the Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series.
He has four wins in the Xfinity Series, all on superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega. His best championship position in that series was third in 2020. In the Craftsman Truck Series, he achieved three wins. Haley is one of only 41 drivers in history to have won in all three of NASCAR's national series.
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 186 | |
| 2 | Bubba Wallace | 116 | |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 114 | |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 100 | arrow_up4 |
| 5 | Shane van Gisbergen | 90 | arrow_up11 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 90 | |
| 7 | Daniel Suarez | 87 | |
| 8 | AJ Allmendinger | 86 | arrow_up10 |
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