USA Today via Reuters
Oct 17, 2020; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Haley (11) leads Justin Allgaier (7) and Ben Kennedy (2) and Riley Herbst (18) during the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 17, 2020; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Haley (11) leads Justin Allgaier (7) and Ben Kennedy (2) and Riley Herbst (18) during the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
For the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Justin Haley will remain with Kaulig Racing. Suffice to say, when the announcement came, they made quite the spectacle out of it.
AJ Allmendinger acted as the hype man as he dramatically tore off the sticker on the car to reveal Haley’s name. Haley said, “I’ll be back in the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in 2021“. The team later confessed that the rigmarole was AJ Allmendinger’s idea.
Truthfully, Haley definitely deserves it, because he has enjoyed an incredible run this season. He said, “We’ve grown as a team, an organization, and most importantly, as a family.
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“I feel super blessed to have gotten the call from Kaulig Racing after my second win at Talladega that they wanted me back in 2021.
“They have believed in me since Day 1, and have stuck with me through the highs and lows. I’m extremely humbled to keep this strong partnership going into 2021 and continue trophy hunting!”
🚨 Kaulig Racing presents the driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet for the 2021 season!! 🚨 @AJDinger | @C_Rice1 | @MattKaulig | @NASCAR_Xfinity | @XfinityRacing pic.twitter.com/KcDqPW9zKB
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) October 19, 2020
What does this mean for Justin Haley in the NASCAR Xfinity Series?
Obviously, this 1-year deal means that Haley will not be stepping up to the Cup Series just yet. Before this announcement, Haley was targeting a full-time Cup Series berth with Spire Motorsports.
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Having won a Cup Race at Daytona in 2019 for Spire, he could have been in with a shout, but it hasn’t materialized yet. The good news is that he still has chances for select Cup Series appearances, but will be a full-time Xfinity driver for now.
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 3, 2020; Lincoln, Alabama, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Justin Haley (11) celebrates after being declared the winner by NASCAR for the AgPro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“To have Justin Haley come back for a third year with us is beyond amazing for our team,” said Matt Kaulig. “Everyone at Kaulig Racing loves Justin, and it is safe to say he has become an integral part of our family.
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“Justin has only helped our program grow, and the proof is in the stats! I’m looking forward to many more wins and trophies with Justin in 2021.”
Coming back to the 2020 Xfinity Series season, the 21-year-old sits barely 2 points below the cut-off line with 2 races to go. Naturally, he will train his focus on the upcoming races, though this announcement will be a massive morale boost for the 21-year-old.
