Corey LaJoie-Justin Haley swap good for all, including Alex Bowman

NASCAR Cup Series

Published Sep. 25, 2024 11:17 a.m. ET

The Corey LaJoie–Justin Haley swap starting this weekend at Kansas might have surprised some, but it appeared as quite a possibility several weeks ago.

Once LaJoie was told in late July he wouldn’t return to Spire Motorsports in 2025 and Haley was a possible candidate, it seemed like this could happen, especially since LaJoie is a candidate to replace Haley at Rick Ware Racing.

Sponsor approvals and other hoops had to get done (a big reason why it has been more than a decade since this type of swap occurred), but letting each driver move now makes the most sense. Haley is signed for the Spire car next season and LaJoie remains a top candidate for the RWR car.

They drive for different manufacturers and neither is in the playoffs, so Chevrolet and Ford certainly wouldn’t mind for their new driver (or possible new driver) to get a head start.

And while the crew chief definitely will be different for Haley (he will have Rodney Childers as crew chief next season), getting used to how a team operates for seven races is still beneficial.

The move also likely puts to rest any of the Alex Bowman rumors. He seemed to be on the hot seat at Hendrick Motorsports until he won in early July at Chicago. But when LaJoie got told he wasn’t coming back and it appeared Haley would be on the move, the chatter picked up again.

It’s no secret that Hendrick and Spire have a tight relationship — just see LaJoie replacing Chase Elliott for the race where he was suspended last year.

So while the Haley-Spire link would make sense anyway considering Haley drove a few races for Spire in 2019, it also made sense that Haley could head to Spire with the thought that if he performs well, the path is there to get into a Hendrick car.

There is even some chatter that Haley’s deal has a Hendrick component — Brad Keselowski, whose RFK Racing has an alliance with RWR, was asked about Haley and said they couldn’t compete with the offer from Hendrick. But so far, Hendrick has outwardly supported Bowman and said he is its driver.

Is that some maneuvering to make the Haley move to Spire storyline one where it is more than just a move from RWR to Spire or is it Hendrick folks playing coy? Only time will tell.

“It’s clear that Spire and HMS have a strong relationship,” Haley said Friday when the swap was announced. “I think everyone in here knows that, But [Spire co-owner] Jeff Dickerson called me and presented me an opportunity to drive the 7 car for him, and it’s a homecoming for me to get back with Jeff and everyone at Spire Motorsports where I started my career.”

It didn’t do Bowman many favors, but until he snapped an 80-race winless streak at Chicago, there were reasons to question. And now that he earned more points in the first round of the playoffs than any other driver, he has shown enough that it should at least quiet things until next season.

Bowman certainly wishes he didn’t have to deal with those things, but his entire career has been one of fighting and scraping for opportunities. Is he the guy who made the 75 greatest driver list by The Athletic a few years ago or the guy who went on an 80-race winless streak (albeit during a time when he battled a broken back and a concussion)?

For LaJoie, it’s been a frustrating season. But a change in scenery could be just what he needed. He stressed Friday that he wanted to race in Cup. This gives him the best opportunity for him to show what he can do to remain in NASCAR’s top series.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.