On Tuesday, Spire Motorsports announced that it will part ways with driver Justin Haley at the conclusion of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, leaving a full-time Cup Series seat at an up-and-coming organization open for 2026.
In 33 starts with Spire this season, Haley has only two top-10 finishes and is 31st in the Cup Series standings.
2025 was Haley’s first full-time season with Spire after he drove the final seven races of 2024 with the organization.
Here are three potential replacements for Haley behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in 2026.
Daniel Suarez
Per Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Suarez, a 33-year-old veteran of 320 Cup Series starts and a two-time Cup Series winner, is the leading candidate for the ride. Suarez has spent the past five seasons with another Chevy team in the Cup Series in Trackhouse Racing, and while he’s struggled to consistently find success, he could be a nice balance at Spire in between a grizzled veteran in Michael McDowell and a flashy young gun in Carson Hocevar.
Corey LaJoie
LaJoie left Spire with seven races left in the 2024 Cup Series season to finish out the year with Rick Ware Racing before being left without a full-time ride in any NASCAR division for 2025. If Spire can’t get its No. 1 option in Suarez, LaJoie could at least be a stopgap for the No. 7 team for one season. LaJoie’s Cup Series resume isn’t all that impressive, but he drove for Spire for four years and, like Suarez, would strike a balance in experience between McDowell and Hocevar.
Kyle Busch
Busch is by far the most