Rumors surrounding a potential ride swap between Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie are gaining momentum as NASCAR teams start planning their 2025 lineups during the silly season. According to reports from The Athletic, Justin Haley may switch to Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro at Spire Motorsports, while LaJoie could take over Haley’s No. 51 Ford Mustang at Rick Ware Racing. This change would mark an effective trade between the two drivers for the next season, both teams operating under charter agreements that will remain in place until 2031.
Justin Haley, a 25-year-old driver, has one NASCAR Cup Series victory to his name, which he secured in 2019 at Daytona during a rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400. Over the course of 135 starts, the Indiana native has earned five top-five finishes and 15 top-10s. Corey LaJoie, who is 32 years old, has yet to secure a Cup Series win, despite having more than 260 starts. The North Carolina native has achieved four top-five finishes and 10 top-10s, with his most recent notable result being a ninth-place finish in the regular season finale at Darlington.
Both Haley and LaJoie signed multi-year contracts with their respective teams in 2023, but LaJoie announced in July that he would be leaving Spire Motorsports at the end of the 2024 season, bringing his four-year tenure with the team to a close. The potential driver swap is generating buzz because it would bring fresh talent to Spire Motorsports in Haley, who is seen as someone with the potential to become a consistent contender in the series. For Rick Ware Racing, adding LaJoie would bring a veteran driver who could help attract sponsors and contribute to the team’s growth.
Beyond the rumored swap, there are also talks of Corey LaJoie possibly moving to the Craftsman Truck Series next year, potentially with Rick Ware Racing. If that happens, it would mark a shift in LaJoie’s career trajectory, but he remains optimistic about his future in NASCAR. Speaking to The Athletic last month, LaJoie expressed confidence that opportunities will come his way as he prepares to depart Spire Motorsports. He shared that his phone has been ringing with interest from various teams, but he remains patient and trusts that the right opportunity will present itself at the appropriate time.
“My phone’s going and people are interested in making calls,” LaJoie remarked. “But every good door in my life that’s been opened hasn’t been opened by myself; I wasn’t the one ripping those doors open, they were open and I had to walk through those when the time was right. So I have faith and I have confidence that the next door, whether it’s on Sundays (Cup) or not, is going to open.”
Meanwhile, Justin Haley addressed rumors about his future with Rick Ware Racing earlier in the season. In an interview with NASCAR in June, Haley expressed his full commitment to the team and to Rick Ware himself, acknowledging the opportunity Ware gave him when no one else did.
“We’re fully committed,” Haley said. “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.”
As NASCAR’s silly season continues to unfold, both drivers have their sights set on the upcoming challenges. They will return to action on September 15 at Watkins Glen for the second race in the Round of 16, with each aiming to make the most of their current rides while their futures in the sport are still being determined. With the stakes rising and rumors swirling, the remainder of the silly season promises to be an intriguing one for both Haley and LaJoie, as well as their respective teams.
NASCAR Silly Season: Justin Haley-Corey LaJoie ride swap rumors heating up
