Something that is seen often in stick and ball sports, but is rarely seen in the world of NASCAR, at least in modern times, is set to take place. Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports have agreed to a trade, which will shake up the driver lineup for both organizations for the final seven races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Corey LaJoie, who was already set to depart the Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the end of the season, will move over to the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse starting next weekend at Kansas Speedway. Justin Haley, who had spent the season at Rick Ware Racing, will finish the year out at Spire Motorsports.
The two race teams made the official announcement in a press conference at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday afternoon ahead of this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
LaJoie, 32, heads into his final start with Spire Motorsports on a three-race top-15 finishing streak. In nearly four full seasons driving for Spire, LaJoie has recorded all four of his career top-five finishes and eight of his 11 career top-10 finishes.
“Corey LaJoie has been a cornerstone of Spire Motorsports and we’re incredibly appreciative of all the time, effort and energy he has invested in our program. RWR is getting a workhorse in Corey. He’s dedicated to his craft and his tenacity brings out the best in those around him,” said Jeff Dickerson, co-owner, Spire Motorsports.
While LaJoie’s star was ascending over the last few seasons, the North Carolina native struggled early in the 2024 season, which led to Spire Motorsports making the decision to move on from the driver a year before his contract was set to expire. The hope was that the No. 7 team, and LaJoie could each benefit from a change of scenery.
Haley has had a quietly solid season for Rick Ware Racing. The 25-year-old did something this season that no driver has ever done in a Rick Ware Racing NASCAR Cup Series car, he finished inside the top 10 at a non-drafting track. Not only did he accomplish the feat once with a ninth-place finish at Darlington in the spring, but he backed it up with another ninth-place run a couple of weeks later at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
The Indiana native will be reunited with the Spire organization, where he picked up the team’s first, and to date, only NASCAR Cup Series win in a weather-shortened event at Daytona International Speedway in 2019.
Spire Motorsports has always seen Haley as a next-level talent and is happy to re-acquire his services behind the wheel for the final seven races of 2024, and beyond as he will enter a multi-year contract beginning in 2025.
“We’ve known Justin Haley for many years and have been bullish on his talent from the beginning of his NASCAR career,” Dickerson stated. “Justin, and his win at Daytona, put us both on the map. It was a pivotal moment for his career and our organization. We’ve both grown since that day, as Justin has proven his talent in the Cup garage and he comes back to an organization that is very different from the one he left a few years ago. Getting back together now, rather than waiting until 2025, gives us an excellent opportunity to build a baseline and be a step ahead when we get to Daytona next February.”
After departing Spire at the end of the 2021 season, Haley ran two full NASCAR Cup Series seasons with Kaulig Racing in 2022 and 2023 before moving to Rick Ware Racing in 2024.
Haley had every intention of returning to Rick Ware Racing in 2025, as he refuted rumors that he would depart the team back in June. Roughly a month later, the driver had received an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Robby Benton, Rick Ware Racing’s team president, says that Haley brought the opportunity of moving to Spire Motorsports to the team in late July. Out of respect for what Haley has done for Rick Ware Racing this season, the team gave its blessing and released Haley from his contract, which gave him the chance to pursue the Spire deal.
“Justin Haley is a very talented driver who has done a lot to help elevate RWR,” said Benton. “Justin came to us over the Olympic break with a longer-term opportunity that would serve his career well. We were sympathetic to his desires, as Justin committed to RWR early last year and has since played a key role in the growth of our organization. We didn’t want to compromise his growth or our own. In our talks with Justin following the break, we agreed to release him from his contract with RWR.”
As the team continues to climb the mountain top in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks, it’ll share a common goal with LaJoie, which is to notch a first win in NASCAR.
“Obviously, we needed a new plan to maintain the momentum we’ve gained this year, and Corey LaJoie joining RWR allows us to keep moving forward,” Benton explained. “These seven races provide a unique and unconventional opportunity to work together now and evaluate what we may be able to accomplish together going forward. Corey wants to continue his path toward winning in the NASCAR Cup Series, and so do we. We’re like-minded in that pursuit.”
While LaJoie will compete in the final seven races of the year for Rick Ware Racing, the driver and team are not yet committed to each other for the 2025 season.
