Spire Motorsports had enough of the mediocrity and subpar performances from Corey LaJoie in the #7 car. Jeff Dickerson and Co. have invested a lot into the team, but LaJoie hasn’t been able to live up to the billing. But, now that they’ve onboarded Justin Haley as his replacement for 2025, the team can finally trade blows with the top dogs.

But, how exactly will Justin Haley match up against the likes of JGR, HMS, and Team Penske? And the answer lies with yet another big arrival at Spire in Rodney Childers. Spire had everything sorted to go, all guns blazing next year. They had the support of Gainbridge on the #7 car as the primary sponsor; they bagged Rodney from SHR. All they needed was a driver capable of embarking on this ambitious project, and Justin Haley became the final piece of that puzzle.

Spire Motorsports will be hoping for Rodney Childers to wave his magic wand next year

One of the biggest drawbacks of the new and upcoming teams is the lack of leaders and crew chiefs. For all the investment and money Spire has spent so far, they’ve yet to see the impact or returns on the racetrack. However, they have now got their house in order by pairing a young driver with a veteran crew chief.

Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick’s duo virtually dominated the last decade with the iconic #4 SHR team. In their very first year together, the duo claimed the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Moving forward, they reached eight playoffs and reached the championship 4 in five times during this run. So, you see, the #4 team was a title contender every season.

A total of 37 wins is what Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers shared at SHR until their runs together in 2023. However, the tricky part for Spire will be to forge a chemistry between Justin Haley and the veteran crew chief. Unlike Harvick, the young recruit hasn’t found his feat at the Cup level and so far only has a single win to his name. And has often found himself fighting for position rather than contesting for wins.

But again, running in Kaulig and Rick Ware Racing equipment is a tough enough job in itself. The single win he has scored came with Spire in his first part-time run at Daytona. Perhaps the switch to the Ford camp wasn’t the right call by Haley, as he has found his way back to Spire. And now, under the guidance of Rodney Childers, he is in a position to kickstart his success story and live up to his billing.

Haley is ready to follow in Rodney’s lead in the #7 team

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Nobody expected the Spire Motorsports and Rickware Racing would manage to pull off a swap deal mid-season. Although Corey LaJoie’s departure from Spire was confirmed, Jeff Dickerson and his team were yet to sign a new driver. Perhaps they wanted to facilitate LaJoie in a potential new team. And for the time being, it was Rick Ware Racing. He will have seven races to prove his mettle; meanwhile, Haley can start preparing for the next year.

Knowing that he will be in good hands from next year onwards, the Winmaca, Indiana native, is looking forward to working with Rodney Childers. “Having someone like Rodney behind you and supporting you on the pit box is one of the biggest motivations you can have as a driver and a team. I’m really looking forward to working with Rodney. He brings a lot to the table, especially for a younger driver like me.” The driver said this to the media during his announcement.

Haley was doing good for himself at Kaulig Racing with the bare minimum of resources. Driving the No. 31 Chevy, he had four top 5 finishes, which also included a runner-up finish at the inaugural edition of the Chicago Street race. Not only that, he knows how to win races. During his stint in the Xfinity Series, he bagged four wins to his name. Now compare this prospect to that of Corey LaJoie; no wonder Spire wanted to move on from him leading the charge of the #7 team.

All in all, Spire Motorsports made the right call. And now, with the pairing of Haley-Childers for 2025, they can go toe-to-toe with the big teams and contest for wins.