What’s Happening

Since officially bringing Justin Haley on board for the future, the Rumor Mill is once again circling Spire Motorsports. Now, the rumor looks like rather than a team expansion, a competitive expansion could be on the way.

• Spire Motorsports made a shocking “trade” last Friday in Bristol. The team switched out longtime driver Corey Lajoie for Rick Ware Racing’s Justin Haley.
• Spire has a close relationship with Hendrick Motorsports. The team also went on a spending spree this Silly Season, signing some of the best free-agent talent available.
• Tier One support would be the next step in Spire’s becoming a winning organization in NASCAR. However, the team would still need to be competitive with their new privilege from Chevrolet.

Spire’s Ever-Spinning Rumor Mill

After last week’s Spire Motorsports Rick Ware Racing Driver Swap, most fans expected to hear something from Door Bumper Clear about the matter. The Dirty Mo Media Podcast had been a major player in the saga, with untrue rumors about Alex Bowman and Justin Haley attributed to the show.

However, on this week’s Sept. 23 episode, the crew discussed yet another rumor in the saga. During their conversation on the driver swap, Brett Griffin said, “There is a rumor that Spire is in a lot of talks with Chevrolet to become a Tier One team. Basically a mini-Hendrick, which is a huge deal if Spire gets… gets that makes that happen. Obviously, it’s not done.”

While DBC had discussed many untrue rumors about Haley, Alex Bowman, and Spire, they were correct when they recently mentioned that Hendrick Motorsports would have a fifth driver under contract in 2025. Many now assume this fifth driver to be Haley after Brad Keselowski said that RFK and RWR couldn’t match what Hendrick and Spire were bringing to the table for Haley.

With their new driver in hand and following a Silly Season of additions including Michael McDowell and Crew Chiefs Travis Peterson and Rodney Childers, Spire wants Tier One Support. So, what could that entail for the Chevrolet team?

What This Means For Spire

Tier One support in NASCAR automatically raises a team’s competition level. Chevrolet teams like Richard Childress Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Trackhouse Racing all have this level of support from Chevrolet.

This year, Ford brought on a new Tier One team in the form of Front Row Motorsports. While the team is winless, they have five pole awards, the most the team has had in a single season. Of course, there is still a level of team responsibility in competition with tier-one support.

For example, FRM has less support than, say, Toyota Tier One in the past five years, 23XI Racing, and their tight relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing. In this rumored move for Spire, they would have similar support from Hendrick Motorsports.

Spire gaining Tier One support and taking a major step in competition would be huge for the team and its HMS counterpart. Currently, there is seemingly a log jam at HMS. If this works out, drivers like Rajah Caruth and Carson Hocevar could have long-term, competitive homes at Spire Motorsports.

Furthermore, it gives Justin Haley a real shot at proving himself in a winning car. While many want to see Justin at HMS, there is no real room for him. Currently, all four HMS drivers are above the average level of competition in NASCAR, making it a tight spot for Haley.

If Spire can lockdown Tier One Support from Chevrolet, it could be a game changer at Spire. The team has the pieces in place. Now, all that is left is to make their final move, and that move may just be racing as a top-level Chevrolet team.

What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.