BRISTOL, Tenn.: Shades of John Andretti – for – Jeremy Mayfield. That 1996 in-season driver trade now has a rival.
Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced on Friday that Justin Haley would leave Rick Ware after Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish the season with Spire.
In the same time frame, Corey LaJoie will move from the No. 7 Spire Chevrolet to the No. 51 RWR Ford Haley has been driving this season.
In Haley’s case, the move represents a return to Spire as part of a longer-term relationship. Spire owner Jeff Dickerson confirmed Haley will drive for the organization in 2025.
“Justin came to us over the Olympic break with a longer-term opportunity that would serve his career well,” said Robby Benton, RWR president. “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.”
Haley drove for Spire from 2019-2021 before moving to Kaulig Racing in 2022. In his third start with Spire in 2019, Haley gave the organization its only Cup victory in a rain-shortened race at Daytona.
LaJoie’s transition to RWR is more of an audition, with no guarantee beyond the final seven races of the current season. But it does give LaJoie an opportunity to stay in the Cup Series.
“For me and my family, this is the best thing for my career,” LaJoie said. “Now, it’s a fresh start with fresh faces and a new process to jump into. You feel as though all the work you do is going to progress to another level.”
The driver swap is reminiscent of the trade between team owners Michael Kranefuss and Cale Yarborough after 23 races of the 1996 season. Andretti went to Yarborough, while Mayfield completed the 1996 season in Kranefuss’ No. 37 Ford.
The Spire | Rick Ware deal is more unusual in that it involves two different manufacturers, Chevrolet and Ford.
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
