This Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway is the second-to-last race to decide who’s in, and who’s out, for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
One driver who doesn’t have to worry about making the playoffs, but is instead focused on keeping his ride into the future, is Justin Haley. After returning to Spire Motorsports in 2024, after 29 races with Rick Ware Racing that year, the No. 7 Chevrolet team hasn’t lit up the race results as hoped. Haley drove the No. 77 for Spire in 2021 before going to Kaulig Racing in 2022 and 2023.
At the beginning of 2025, Haley was paired with NASCAR Champion Crew Chief Rodney Childers. After nine races, Childress and Spire parted ways and the team’s Director of Competition Ryan Sparks returned to the No. 7 pit box
With no top-fives and one top-10 finish with 12 races remaining, the talk of Haley’s remaining with the team has been getting louder in recent weeks.
He’s Heard and Felt the Rumblings
“Obviously, it’s been a pretty difficult season, in general, with where we are in the points standings and kind of what we’ve gone through,” Haley shared at Indianapolis. “Definitely not what I expected when I started in Daytona, to go through all we’ve been through.
“But, we’re just trying to find a little bit of silver lining and get some good finishes by the end of the year.”
For three-consecutive races recently, Haley and the Sparks-led team did have admirable finishes. Placing 15th at Sonoma Raceway, 11th at Dover and 17th at Indy gave a glimmer of hope.
However, that was followed up by a 23rd at Iowa and 27th place at Watkins Glen.
Spire Ownership Shares Thoughts on Haley
During a recent interview on Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio, team co-owner Jeff Dickerson discussed their driver’s future. The team has shown continued growth across it’s NASCAR operation of Cup and Truck Series teams. In turn, that has elevated Spire’s expectations.
“There’s pressure internally and externally that we all have to answer to and kind of meet.” he said. “It’s no secret that Justin and that team, they just have not performed up to the expectations that we’ve set forth. That is something that we’re constantly discussing. How do we do better? How do we make this go better and faster and more results?
“I’ve been super proud of Justin the last few weeks because with all these rumors swirling around, I thought he put together a couple of good really weeks. I don’t know if the rumors added any more pressure.
“I think as we have kind of evolved as a company, we are to a place where we have to meet those expectations. It’s just not good enough for us to make it to the racetrack anymore, or just kind of run 30th anymore. We just can’t do it, that’s just the way to put it.”
Daytona Offers a Glimmer of Hope
“I would say that Justin is under no more pressure than us or than me to perform,” Dickerson continued. “I guess you just never know how this is going to go. I’m as curious as anybody to see where this goes the next 12 weeks.
“I do know this, he’s got two opportunities here to make the playoffs. I would not bet against Justin Haley at either of these tracks.”
The final race to determine this year’s Playoff contenders is at Daytona International Speedway, where Haley won his only NCS race in 2001.
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