Former Spotter Refuses to Count out Justin Haley at the Daytona 500 With Massive “Sleeper” Claim

After two lackluster seasons with Kaulig Racing, NASCAR Cup Series racer Justin Haley decided to leave the team for Rick Ware Racing. He signed a multi-year deal and things did not start in a bad way. Yes, the 24-year-old was not able to finish the Clash at the Coliseum race but ran top 10 during qualifying. His performance drew a lot of attention to the #51 team and his former spotter Brett Griffin believes that he could make a big impact in the Daytona 500.

Haley and Griffin worked together at Kaulig Racing until last year, and it is safe to say that there is a lot of respect between the two individuals. The 24-year-old made his Cup Series debut during the 2019 season and can become a star in the future. A good display at the Daytona 500 will do wonders for his confidence at the start of the 2024 season.

Griffin praises Justin Haley despite DNF in Clash at the Coliseum

Justin Haley’s former spotter Brett Griffin is a co-host on the popular Door Bumper Clear podcast. In a recent episode, he spoke about how impressive the 24-year-old was at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. It will be important for the Rick Ware Racing star to carry some of that form into the first couple of weeks of racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, both of which will be raced on superspeedways.

While Griffin was impressed with how much his former driver has progressed with RWR, there is a hint of skepticism when it comes to the big tracks. However, the DBC co-host also said that Haley is a skilled drafter, something that will come in very handy on tracks like Daytona and Atlanta.

“Obviously he didn’t get the finish that he wanted but to go out there, practice well, qualify well, run top 7, top 8, I mean hats off to him and what they’ve already done at Rick Ware Racing in a short amount of time,” Griffin said.

“Now the question becomes is what happens when we get to these big tracks? That is a place where the driver may be able to make up a little bit more of a difference. When we get to Daytona, if he qualifies a second, second-and-a-half off pole, it means they got a lot of work to do on the restrictor plate stuff. These next 2 weeks, it will be fun to watch him cause he’s a good drafter too. We’ve been teammates with him, and I’ve obviously spotted for him. He is a sleeper going into these next 2 weeks,” he added.

Griffin may very well have a strong point. If one looks at Justin Haley’s record, it is fascinating just how good he is when it comes to superspeedway racing. It will be interesting to see if he can bring that kind of form to The Great American Race.

Read More – NASCAR Veteran Brutally Trashes Joey Logano as He Defends Joe Gibbs’ Grandson in Clash Drama

How is Rick Ware Racing’s latest star’s record at superspeedways?

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Justin Haley is no rookie. He has been racing in the biggest NASCAR competitions since 2015 in the Truck Series. The 24-year-old made his debut in the Cup Series in 2019 with Spire Motorsports and that year, he won his very first race in the competition at the Daytona International Speedway. It wasn’t the Daytona 500, though. In the subsequent Cup Series races at superspeedways, the RWR star has picked up two more top-10 finishes.

It’s not just the Cup Series where the former Kaulig Racing star has tasted superspeedway success. The 24-year-old was a master of the big tracks in the Xfinity Series as well. Haley has four race wins in the competition and all of them came at superspeedways, two at Daytona and two at Talladega. He has the skills to navigate such tracks. Now, it’s up to Rick Ware Racing to provide him with a competitive car.

It will be interesting to see how Justin Haley runs at The Great American Race later this month with a new team. Will the 24-year-old be able to shock the world and take the victory in the 2024 Daytona 500? 

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