WELCOME BACK, OLD FRIEND: JUSTIN HALEY AND HIS RETURN TO SPIRE MOTORSPORTS

By Mark Binetti, Senior Director of Communications & Team Services/Broadcaster

Sports have a way of bringing a wide variety of people together. Sports also have a tendency to bring people back.

This comes, more often than not, when a former player returns for an alumni weekend with their respective professional or college teams, a championship team reunites in front of its fans, a former player decides to sign for their hometown team, or maybe even a former player comes back to their original team to take on a coaching or administrative role.

Sometimes, occasionally, a former player returns to his original team that he made his or her debut for. Such is the case with Justin Haley, the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1.

Haley made his NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) debut with Spire Motorsports back in 2019, getting his first feel for the highest level of stock car racing in North America while piloting the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet. He raced with Spire until the end of the 2020 NCS season amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, when he then drove for Kaulig Racing and later Rick Ware Racing.

On September 20, 2024, it was announced that an “old fashioned player trade”, as the motorsports pundits put it, had been made between Rick Ware Racing and Spire Motorsports, a rarity in the space with the latter receiving Haley. He was set to wheel the No. 7 Chevrolet ZL1 for the remainder of that season and beyond, wheeling the No. 7 into the 2025 NCS season alongside his crew chief, Rodney Childers, the winningest active crew chief in the NCS who led Kevin Harvick to the 2014 NCS title, at the helm of his team.

Since his last race with Spire in the 2020 NCS season, much has changed about his new home: there are now three NCS chartered cars, a budding NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) program, and a new home, having moved from Alan Kulwicki’s former shop in Concord, N.C., to the former Kyle Busch Motorsports estate in Mooresville, N.C.

“I’m happy to be back with Spire. The team has grown and changed a lot since I started with them, and I’m really excited to have Rodney Childers as my crew chief. I’m looking forward to getting back racing with all the guys on the No. 7 team to see what we can do this year,” Haley said of his return.

Just as much as the motorsports side has changed, so has the hockey side of Spire: Haley last saw only one ECHL team under Spire’s management, now watching that count triple as well to include the Swamp Rabbits. Not only has the number of teams changed, so has the specialty night of which he’s attending this weekend. “NASCAR Night”, presented by Arthrex, was still referred to as “Racing Night”, featuring seven drivers compared to the 21 he now headlines.

“It’s definitely turned into a large event. It’s cool to see list of drivers for this year and how much that has grown from the first year when it was just two or three of us,” he reflected on his return to the Swamp Rabbits fan-favorite night. “NASCAR fans are so loyal and will show up wherever their driver is, and it seems like there’s a crossover with the hockey and racing fanbases, so I’m sure they’ll be there ready to have fun.”

Haley introduced at "Racing Night" in 2022

Haley signing autographs on "Racing Night" in 2022

There’s much to reflect on regarding Haley over the last few years of racing, especially with his relationship to his current employer. He’ll start the new NCS campaign next month with Spire Motorsports on a track he remembers all too fondly: Daytona.

While the Daytona 500 is a crown jewel race and kicks off the NASCAR season, Daytona International Speedway gets a second race each year. It’s in that second race, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, where Haley pulled off the seemingly impossible six years ago in the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet.

He led Spire Motorsports to its first win in its maiden NCS voyage.

Photo: Autoweek

“At the time, it was hard to believe it was happening, but now Daytona holds a special place and memory for me because of that win,” Haley recalled. “I love racing at Daytona, and I feel like it’s one of my best styles of racing. I can find my way to the front and know I’m capable of getting another win there. I’m ready for another Daytona trophy, and I think we’ve got the team to make it happen.” 

Haley and company had to wait an extra day for the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400, just his third career Cup Series start, due to rain (keep that tidbit about the weather in the back of your head). Haley’s relationship with Spire ownership was crucial in earning the opportunity to pilot the No. 77. Haley previously drove for the team in Talladega, his first career start, and in Sonoma, finishing 32^nd and 34^th, respectively. With the then-20-year-old about to go for his third try in a Cup Series car, there were a few strategic details employed, specifically with green flag pit stops in an effort to better conserve the car.

“I think the team probably had an idea of how they could do something different. I only ran three races that year, and Daytona was my last one,” Haley explained. “I just got in the seat and did what they asked me to do. The decision to stay on the track when everyone pitted was the right call, but I didn’t have much to do with that. I was just there and thankful to be able to take advantage of time on track in a Cup car.”

He started the race in 34^th, staying in the back of the pack for the majority of the race. For the most part, things were looking smooth across the board, until “The Big One” happened. For the uninitiated, “The Big One” is a wreck that takes out five or more cars at one point in a race, and it was Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon duking it out feverishly for the lead that ultimately caused the crash.

They took out 17 cars. Somehow, Haley managed to escape the chaos and shot up to 11^th.

“I think I was on the other side of the track when it happened, so it just worked out that I didn’t have too much to avoid and made it through with no issues, which is great, because I've been in the middle of some of those superspeedway wrecks and it's not fun to try to get through those,” he reminisced. 

Now in 11^th place, Haley continued to stay the course. Eventually, drivers in front of him begin to pit, bringing him up to 3^rd place.

Remember that note about the rain? As all this transpired, rain started to lightly scatter on the track. Eventually, the official gave a “caution and 1 to go" signal, and shortly after, Landon Cassill, and the leader, Kurt Busch, went to pit road.

The No. 77 was now in first place.

“I’m a really focused driver, so I was just keyed in on what I was doing in that moment. I didn’t really have time to think about what that meant to be first,” Haley said. “I like a really quiet radio when I drive, so a lot of the conversation happening was just the spotter telling me what I needed to do to stay there. I’m sure there was a good conversation happening on the team channel that I missed out on because of it.” 

Moments later, the heavens opened up. Lightning struck near the track, and the rain poured in biblical proportions. The race was “red flagged” and halted for both a rain and lightning delay. As people eventually thought the lightning delay would be called off, another bolt shot across the sky, continuously renewing the delay.

Photo: Tampa Bay Times

All in all, it was three and a half to four hours of pure agony waiting for something to happen, whether it be the delay coming to an end or the race eventually being called.

“It was a long wait. It felt much longer than it actually was,” he remembered of the time flow, or seeming lack thereof. “I remember everyone hanging out and getting anxious. Some people were starting to get excited about what it would mean if the race was called, but I was trying to stay in race mode. If we went back racing, I needed to be focused and ready. I just didn’t relax or let the rain take away my determination.”

After a long wait, Chip Wile, the President of Daytona International Speedway, made the call and told Haley, Spire Motorsports, and the No. 77 team that they were officially winners of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona.

“It’s crazy how it just kind of happened. They walk in and tell you you’re the winner, simple as that,” Haley said of the moment. “It’s a lot different from crossing the finish line and going to Victory Lane, but I was thrilled and beyond happy. It’s a moment I’ll never be able to replace.”

His win in the rearview mirror, Haley now looks forward to returning to the track, and the team, that he has an immortal tie to in his career. While he’s determined and steadfast to win at all costs, he also relishes the opportunity to tap into his hockey fandom just a bit with “NASCAR Night” this weekend.

“Spire has put so much into bringing in experienced people and investing in equipment and technology to improve. We have so much potential and I’m ready to get the season started with an amazing crew chief who will lead me to victory,” Haley concluded. “I’m excited to be back for ‘NASCAR Night’ and to take in the game. It’s so intense and my brother-in-law is an ECHL referee, so I’ve always had a special tie to hockey. Hockey games are so cool to see in person, so I’m excited to have the time to enjoy one, especially this one, before the season starts.”

Photo: Motorsports Racing Network

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About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have been providing family friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey Leagu