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Justin Haley out at Spire: NASCAR insider reveals Daniel Suárez as leading candidate to fill No. 7 seat

ProfilePhotoby: Nick Geddes10/14/25NickGeddesNews
Daniel Suárez
Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Justin Haley‘s time is up at Spire Motorsports. The team announced Tuesday they will part ways with Haley at the conclusion of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

With Haley out, Spire needs to find a driver to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2026. According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Daniel Suárez is a “leading candidate” to fill the seat.

Suárez, like Haley, is out of a ride after the season. Trackhouse Racing is replacing Suárez with Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom who is currently dominating the competition in the Xfinity Series. With playoff drivers Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen occupying the other two seats, Suárez was the odd man out at Trackhouse.

Suárez, 33, joined Trackhouse in 2020, becoming the flagship driver of what was at the time, a one-car team. He made the playoffs in 2022 and again in 2024. The 2025 season, however, has not gone to plan. Suárez is 28th in the points standings, with just seven top 10s and two top 5s in 33 starts. Suárez has an average finish of 21.182. He previously opened up about what led to his departure from Trackhouse.

Daniel Suárez might have another Cup opportunity lined up

“Since my new crew chief [Matt Swiderski] came to Trackhouse, he told me a lot of things that he didn’t think were right within the organization and a lot of things that needed to be changed,” Suárez said. “I’ve been very vocal with the team on we need to address this, we need to address that, and I’m not the only one seeing it. There are more people seeing it.

“I don’t think that’s the only reason. I think there are more things. Just think that lately, there have been things that have made me feel that I’m not as important.”

Haley, meanwhile, never got the arrow pointing up in his second stint with Spire. He joined the team late last season in a driver swap with Rick Ware Racing which sent Corey LaJoie the other way. Spire hired championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers to sit atop the pit box for the No. 7 team.

Haley and Childers weren’t a fit, and the latter left Spire just nine races into the season. Haley is currently 31st in the points, with just a pair of top 10s and one top five on his resume.