“Perseverance: Try and try again until the goal is achieved. Never give up.” These are Rick Hendrick’s famous words, which he has evidently followed to achieve success so far. Take Hendrick Motorsports, for example, with their 16 driver’s championships, 339 wins, and 298 poles across all three major series since the team’s inception back in 1984. So if we say anything Mr. H touches turns to gold, we wouldn’t be wrong. If handling his own team was not enough, Rick Hendrick stretches his arms to help ally teams, and Spire Motorsports is one of them.

Spire Motorsports has not been in a downward spiral, and with the recent results from their drivers, it does not look like the team will be winning a championship anytime soon. But on a recent episode of Kenny & Charlie Top 2, Kenny Wallace revealed something he knows and we don’t.

Right now, Spire is only in its 7th year, it’s safe to say they have a lot to catch up on, given the decades of experience other teams have. And, Kenny Wallace just talked about the direction they’re heading.

Kenny Wallace and Charlie Marlow discussed the happenings in NASCAR, the Paris Olympics break, and what teams like Spire Motorsports are up to. That is when Wallace claimed Spire Motorsports to be the next big thing in NASCAR, as he said, “I think Spires are way bigger than we think they are. I’m not going to buy the ‘we don’t have any money.'”

While he said that he seemed to be confident about his take, “You buy a $40 million charter; you own three hockey teams, three Cup teams, and three truck teams. Hendrick is their buddy. Trackhouse and them are partnering up.”

So far Spire have had a difficult 2024. After Corey LaJoie’s fourth-place finish in the first race of the season at Daytona, they have had only three top-10 finishes in the subsequent 21 races. On top of that LaJaoie is set to part ways with the team after this season. On the other hand, Spire are in a healthy financial situation.

They showed their muscle last year in September when they purchased Live Fast Motorsports’ No. 78 charter for approximately $40 million, the highest such amount paid. This gave them three Cup Series teams, in addition to three cars in the Truck Series. This was followed by the announcement that they have secured a partnership with Trackhouse Racing to field a full-time car for their driver Zane Smith.

Moreover, in February HendrickCars.com extended its partnership with Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) team and driver Rajah Caruth to include the entire 2024 schedule. Earlier, they had signed a 10-race primary sponsorship with them.

After mentioning that Spire has been up to more than most know, Wallace guessed, “The next thing you’re going to be doing is going to concerts, right? That’s the next thing. Everybody wants to do a concert until something goes bad at the concert and they don’t have enough insurance. But, uh, that’s the next thing.”

2023 also saw the team the co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr buy Kyle Busch Motorsports in September and the 77,000 square foot KBM and Rowdy Manufacturing facility. They have all the tools at their disposal, but one key element is missing.

During the conversation, Kenny Wallace jumped into the driver line-up that will be changed with their longest-tenured driver LaJoie moving out.  He said, “Who is going to drive for Spire? And let’s put it a little more simply—who is going to be Rodney Childers’ driver?” Now we all know the power move that Spire made by hiring Rodney Childers from SHR 9 July, who, according to Wallace, “is one of the top crew chiefs in all of NASCAR,” but he still needs a driver.

Right now, in addition to Zane Smith handling the No. 71, Spire has Carson Hocevar driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

With fans yet to process the shuffle in the Spire garage, Wallace left fans in bigger suspense as he added, “A little birdie tells me Spire’s going to become big-time. I have people in the industry telling me Spire called me. Spire called me.” He concluded his stance by saying, “I know a little more; I just can’t talk about it.” Could this mean a seasoned driver joining Childers at Spire?

Who will replace Corey LaJoie at Spire Motorsports in 2025?

With Corey LaJoie moving on, it’s clear Spire Motorsports has big plans, and they’re likely aiming for a seasoned winner to team up with new crew chief Rodney Childers. It could be Erik Jones. At just 28, Jones has already bagged three Cup Series wins, 9 Xfinity wins, and 7 Truck Series wins, including a notable victory for Petty GMS. Currently, EJ drives the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. And, despite LMC’s recent struggles and Jones’ underwhelming season, a switch to Spire could be exactly what he needs to turn things around.

Another name that has been brewing in the background is Bubba Wallace, as his contract with 23XI Racing is still not decided for next season. Wallace is a tough competitor, and although he is not a Cup Series Championship winner yet, with the right combination of car, practice, and luck, he can make it with Spire. Though the last time 23XI extended their contract with Wallace, he made his intentions clear by saying, “I thought from Day 1 on joining this team that I wanted to make this where I retire and a place that I call home for a very long time.”

However, knowing that the dynamics of NASCAR keep changing with sponsors, results, and charter ownership, Wallace might have to consider a switch if he continues his winless streak.

And then there’s Justin Haley. Although he’s voiced a desire to stay with the No. 51 and Rick Ware Racing, if an opportunity arises, Haley could be a great fit for Spire. With his clean driving record and past win at the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in just his third career Cup Series start due to being in the lead, through an exceptional pit strategy for Spire Motorsports, he brings both experience and a bit of nostalgia. Currently, he is also winless, as he sits 29th in the driver’s ranking this season.

The potential drivers’ list can go on and have the likes of Kyle Busch and Ryan Preece added to it, but it all comes down to the team to decide which talent they would like to have behind the No. 7 car for Spire Motorsports in 2025. Who do you think the team will go with? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.