Eddie D’Hondt will join Spire Motorsports on a multi-year contract to become Justin Haley’s spotter starting in 2025.
[autotag]Eddie D’Hondt[/autotag] has found his third home in as many seasons. On Friday morning, D’Hondt announced that he will join [autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] on a multi-year contract to become [autotag]Justin Haley[/autotag]’s spotter in 2025. Haley has spent most of the 2024 NASCAR season with Rick Ware Racing but swapped seats with Corey LaJoie following the Round of 12 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.
D’Hondt currently serves as the spotter for Josh Berry at Stewart-Haas Racing; however, the organization will shut down at the conclusion of the 2024 NASCAR season. D’Hondt is the most recent big hire for Spire Motorsports, which has also brought in Haley, Michael McDowell, and crew chief Rodney Childers from Stewart-Haas Racing.
With Childers and D’Hondt moving from Stewart-Haas Racing to Spire Motorsports, Haley will essentially have two key pieces from the current No. 4 team. It has been an up-and-down year for so many individuals at Stewart-Haas Racing, and it’s good to see them find homes. For D’Hondt, it’s a great landing spot as Haley looks to build a foundation with Spire Motorsports.
Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports will trade drivers after Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway to get a head start on the 2025 season. Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Ware beginning at Kansas …
Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports will trade drivers after Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway to get a head start on the 2025 season. Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Ware beginning at Kansas Speedway (Sept. 29). Justin Haley will take over the No. 7 Chevrolet at Spire.
“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,” said Spire Motorsports president Jeff Dickerson. “RWR is getting a workhorse in Corey. He’s dedicated to his craft and his tenacity brings out the best in those around him.
“We’ve known Justin Haley for many years and have been bullish on his talent from the beginning of his NASCAR career. 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.”
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LaJoie moves to Rick Ware’s organization after being informed in July he’d be released from Spire Motorsports after this season. He has driven the No. 7 car since the 2021 season.
Haley’s return to Spire Motorsports reunites him with the team where he won the 2019 weather-shortened summer Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway in a part-time role. He competed with the team through the 2021 season.
In his first season with Ware, Haley was initially signed to a multiyear deal. He joined the organization after two seasons with Kaulig Racing.
“Justin Haley is a very talented driver who has done a lot to help elevate RWR,” said Rick Ware Racing president Robby 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.
“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. 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.”
Spire Motorsports’ top candidate for the No. 7 car in the NASCAR Cup Series has been revealed. Who could join Spire Motorsports in 2025?
[autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] has one of the most intriguing openings in the NASCAR Cup Series. During the Olympic break, Spire Motorsports announced that Corey LaJoie won’t return to the No. 7 Cup car in 2025. The move leaves the No. 7 car open with new crew chief Rodney Childers waiting in the wings. However, Spire Motorsports’ “leading” candidate for 2025 has been revealed.
According to The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, [autotag]Justin Haley[/autotag] is the “leading contender” for the No. 7 Cup car at Spire Motorsports in 2025. Haley has been linked to Spire Motorsports ever since the announcement of LaJoie’s departure. In fact, the Rick Ware Racing driver earned Spire Motorsports its first Cup Series victory in a rain-shorted race at Daytona International Speedway in July 2019.
In 2024, Haley has been impressive with Rick Ware Racing, earning two top-10 finishes and seven top-20 finishes in the last 11 races. Spire Motorsports sees how well Haley has been running in the No. 51 car, and a reunion wouldn’t be surprising. The two sides have a long history together, and Haley would be a great addition to Spire Motorsports.
Sam Mayer and Justin Haley are connected to a NASCAR Cup Series team for 2025. Which NASCAR organization could sign Mayer or Haley?
[autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] made big moves leading into the 2024 NASCAR season, but that hasn’t changed this year. To this point, Spire Motorsports has signed driver Michael McDowell and crew chief Rodney Childers to contracts while announcing that Corey LaJoie won’t return in 2025. So, who could replace LaJoie in the No. 7 Cup car next season?
When thinking about potential replacements for LaJoie, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass mentioned Sam Mayer and Justin Haley as the first names that come to mind. Mayer has been connected to several rides in the NASCAR Cup Series, including Front Row Motorsports, while Haley has remained committed to Rick Ware Racing throughout the process.
The NASCAR organization will have many options available, but Mayer or Haley would be a great addition alongside Childers. The Rick Ware Racing driver has driven for Spire Motorsports in the past, but it’s unclear if he would leave the No. 51 team. The JR Motorsports driver is a different story, but Spire Motorsports has plenty of time to decide.
Justin Haley addresses his future with Rick Ware Racing beyond the 2024 NASCAR season. What did Haley say about his NASCAR future?
[autotag]Justin Haley[/autotag] joined [autotag]Rick Ware Racing[/autotag] for the 2024 NASCAR season, and it was a big gamble. Rick Ware Racing hadn’t accomplished much in the NASCAR Cup Series before Haley’s arrival; however, this year has been one of the team’s best yet. The driver of the No. 51 has two top-9 finishes and a 23.5 average finishing position through 17 races.
Amid rumors that other teams could be interested in Haley’s services, he cleared the air on Tuesday with reporters. Haley discussed his situation with Rick Ware Racing and committed to what team owner Rick Ware wants from him.
“Looking back a year ago, Rick Ware and Lisa Ware, they gave me an opportunity when I was high and dry and didn’t have an opportunity left in the [NASCAR Cup Series],” Haley said. “I trusted them, they trusted me, and I kind of gambled my whole career and life, and everything I have done up to that point to trust Rick and his process and see him through.”
“We’re fully committed. I think we’re running too good right now to, you know, really veer too far off the path of anything…without Rick, I wouldn’t even be in the Cup Series right now…Whatever Rick wants my future to be, you know, if [he wants] me to stay for five to 10 years, I’ll stay for five to 10 years, just because he gave me the opportunity when no one else would…I kind of owe everything to him.”
Haley has been very impressive, and Rick Ware Racing likely wouldn’t blame him for taking a ride in elite Cup Series equipment. However, Haley seems committed to building Rick Ware Racing into a team that runs well weekly. The loyalty between the two sides is essential, as Haley’s relationship with Rick Ware Racing could be just beginning.
Justin Haley admits it’s taken longer for Rick Ware Racing to get to where they are now than he would have liked, but feels it’s starting to come together, as evidenced by a top-10 finish last at Darlington Raceway. “The mountain was probably a …
Justin Haley admits it’s taken longer for Rick Ware Racing to get to where they are now than he would have liked, but feels it’s starting to come together, as evidenced by a top-10 finish last at Darlington Raceway.
“The mountain was probably a little taller than I anticipated that we were climbing,” Haley said after his ninth-place finish in the Goodyear 400. “But I feel like we’re in a good spot now. I feel like we’re bringing 20th-place cars each and every week, which is a big improvement, and we can continue to improve on that.”
The efforts of the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team for Haley and crew chief Chris Lawson netted the organization its first top-10 finish on a non-superspeedway. Rick Ware Racing had eight previous top-10 finishes in the Cup Series, which had come at Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
It was Haley’s best finish through 13 starts and the team’s fourth top-20 result.
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“I’m having a blast,” Haley said. “It’s a lot more work than I’ve probably been tasked with Monday through Friday, especially with the last race team. It was kind of hands-off (where) you kind of showed up and drove and that was it. But I enjoy it. I’m at the shop almost every day for hours and hours, helping, and I feel like I’m doing everything I can do to improve this race team and set myself up for the future.
“It’s just a lot of hours right now. It’s a lot of work for everyone involved. We’re doing a lot with a little, and I feel like when we do have these solid runs, it’s a big shot in the arm. It’s definitely a confidence booster.”
Alliances help, but Haley is buoyed by playing an in-depth role in the Rick Ware Racing operation. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images
Haley became the organization’s cornerstone when he signed a multi-year deal with Ware in July. He is the team’s primary driver in the No. 51, while the No. 15 Ford shares drivers. Kaz Grala will drive the car in most Cup Series races.
Ware first fielded a car in 2012. In recent years, however, his commitment to the series has seen the performance take incremental steps forward. Along the way that has included hiring experienced personnel such as Tommy Baldwin (competition director) and Robby Benton (team president) to entering into technical alliances with top teams. Rick Ware Racing has a current alliance with RFK Racing after a previous one with Stewart-Haas Racing.
“I think it’s been extremely important for the core group of Rick Ware Racing employees that have been there for years and years and years that we can succeed,” Haley said. “It’s the same guys who have been working on the race cars forever; it’s no one different. We put the race cars together, our Rick Ware Racing employees. It’s all out of our own shop. Yeah, we’re out of a corner at RFK, but it’s still 100% a Rick Ware Racing car.
“It’s been cool for me to see what a good run can do to the guys that work on our race that put in all the hard hours.”
The alliance only goes so far, however. Rick Ware is not a manufacturer-supported team, so the food chain of information is limited. Haley made clear that RFK Racing is helpful in the partnership and provides everything allowed, such as shocks, springs and setups, as Haley does the simulator work. But there is no aerodynamic information available.
Haley’s average finish is 24.8, completing 99.6% of the season’s laps. The team is 32nd in points, though, after being disqualified at Circuit of The Americas after crossing the finish line 17th. Haley’s car did not meet the minimum post-race weights.
“We’ve had some great runs,” Haley said. “It’s unfortunate we got disqualified at COTA because I feel like we’d be in a pretty decent points position without that DQ. But that was just another example of a team that had never been to post-race tech, and we just didn’t quite know what to expect. It’s a learning process every week.
“I feel like the Cup Series is harder than it has ever been at this moment, not to take anything away from the past. There’s not really a slow car out there anymore. It’s pretty tough. So, we’re just continuing to improve each and every week, and focus on ourselves and do the best that we can.”
NASCAR has disqualified Justin Haley from Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas because his Rick Ware Racing car failed post-race inspection. Haley’s No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse did not meet minimum post-race weights. …
NASCAR has disqualified Justin Haley from Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas because his Rick Ware Racing car failed post-race inspection.
Haley’s No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse did not meet minimum post-race weights.
The disqualification will move Haley to last place, 39th, in the finishing order and he will receive one point from the race. Haley crossed the finish line 17th Sunday, which would have been his third top-20 finish of the season.
“We had an OK day,” Haley said afterward. “I thought we did everything right up until the end when we had a slow pit stop and kind of faded from there. I am really happy with the results we are getting. We have such a small team and we are trying as hard as we can. I appreciate everyone at Ford and RFK for giving us the information they give us and I am glad we are starting to apply it.”
No additional penalties are expected for Haley’s team aside from the disqualification. The team does have the option to appeal the penalty.
There were no other issues from post-race inspection at Circuit of the Americas.
Justin Haley is chomping at the bit to officially start the season with Rick Ware Racing at Daytona International Speedway in three weeks. Haley has a multiyear deal with Ware, driving the No. 51 Ford Mustang. It will be the first time Haley has …
Justin Haley is chomping at the bit to officially start the season with Rick Ware Racing at Daytona International Speedway in three weeks.
Haley has a multiyear deal with Ware, driving the No. 51 Ford Mustang. It will be the first time Haley has driven something other than a Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series. Of the 266 national series starts Haley has made in NASCAR, 265 of them have been with Chevrolet.
His praise of Ford comes from the manufacturer’s dominance on the superspeedways. Ford drivers draft well together, buying into the ‘One Ford’ mantra the group adopted a few years ago when manufacturer alliances became the most successful strategy.
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“I’ve told everyone all week that I’ve raced against the Fords for so long,” Haley said during the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) convention. “They have the best fuel mileage, the best strategy and the best teamwork, and it has pissed me off for so long racing them that I’m so excited to sit in a Ford.
“They didn’t even pay me extra to say that. It’s so true.”
Doug Yates also takes pride in the horsepower Roush Yates Engines takes to the superspeedways. Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski combined for 187 of 260 laps led en route to finishing 1-2 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the spring of 2023. Chris Buescher won the summer Daytona race after Chase Briscoe sat on the pole and led the most laps. While teammate Logano led the most laps, Ryan Blaney won the fall Talladega Superspeedway race.
“They qualify so fast,” Haley said of the Ford’s speed. “I just went through Roush Yates the other day, and what an impressive operation they have built. I’ve never seen an engine shop that looks like that before. It looked like rocket science. There were lab coats and face masks and big rubber gloves and microscopes and all sorts of stuff just to build horsepower.
“They have crushed us on fuel mileage and now we’ve got an awesome brand-new looking Dark Horse Mustang. So, I’m super excited to go down to Daytona and see what we’ve got.”
Haley is not to be overlooked on superspeedways, either. All four of his NASCAR Xfinity Series victories came on superspeedways: two at Daytona and two at Talladega. In the summer of 2019, Haley and Spire Motorsports had positioned themselves in the right place at the right time to be declared the winners of the weather-shortened Cup Series race at Daytona.
Rick Ware Racing will field two full-time entries with Haley the organization’s flagship driver. The No. 15 entry will have multiple drivers.
Ware has signed a driver to build around for years to come, while Haley gets a fresh start with a new team and manufacturer. Both sides are optimistic about what’s to come but are taking the journey one week at a time.
“It’s an ultra-competitive racing series, and it’s going to take some time,” Haley said. “Obviously, with everything we have going, I feel like all of our alliances with Ford and Roush Yates and RFK have grown a lot over the offseason, and I continue to see those grow. The first five to 10 races, we’ll kind of be what we are and then Chris [Lawson] and everyone at RWR will start to elevate and start to hit our stride. We’ll just have to see.
“It’s not going to be like we go and rip the first 10 wins off of the season. I feel like we’re realistic, but I also feel like we really want to be competitive, and there are all the right tools now to be competitive at Rick Ware. We have every single tool. We just have to take them out of the toolbox and figure out how to use them and apply that.”
Rick Ware Racing has revealed Justin Haley’s new car number and crew chief for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
[autotag]Rick Ware Racing[/autotag] entered the new year with no official announcements regarding its NASCAR Cup Series lineup, excluding [autotag]Justin Haley[/autotag]’s arrival; however, that has now changed. On Tuesday morning, Rick Ware Racing announced that Haley will drive the No. 51 Cup car with Chris Lawson as his crew chief for the 2024 NASCAR season.
Lawson is a major pickup for Rick Ware Racing, who has been with Front Row Motorsports over the last four seasons. The crew chief led Zane Smith to a NASCAR Truck Series championship in 2022, earning six victories in the last three seasons. Lawson was only a crew chief in one Cup Series race with Todd Gilliland in 2023 prior to this announcement.
RWR announces Chris Lawson (formerly of Front Row Motorsports) will crew chief for Justin Haley, whose car number will be 51. Drivers for the No. 15 car TBA.
As for Rick Ware Racing’s other charter, the No. 15 Cup car drivers will be announced in the future. Kaz Grala is one driver linked to the No. 15 car, but other names, like Ryan Newman, have also been involved. With the 2024 NASCAR season approaching, Rick Ware Racing is committed to improving its overall program,
Justin Haley had a down year with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Here, you can check out Haley’s 2023 season in review!
[autotag]Justin Haley[/autotag] had a down year in his final season with Kaulig Racing, which was unexpected. Haley ended the year with one top-5 finish and six top-10 finishes with a 21.0 average finishing position. The driver of the No. 31 car also finished 26th in the point standings. Outside of Haley’s top-10 finishes, everything was down across the board.
Haley had a best finish of second place at the Chicago Street Course, which could have been his berth to the 2023 playoffs if not for Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen. Surprisingly, Haley only had 13 top-20 finishes as Kaulig Racing seemed to struggle. Now, he will pursue a new journey for the 2024 NASCAR season.
The 24-year-old driver signed a multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, allowing him to grow alongside the organization. Haley has better long-term security, which should help his future in the Cup Series. It may be a downgrade for the 2024 season, but it could lead him to a better ride down the line.
