Spire Motorsports named Justin Haley to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, replacing suspended Carson Hocevar. But why Haley? Why did Spire pass over rising young star Corey Day?
With Day chasing an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title the day before, the pick of a 180-start veteran raises an obvious question about Spire’s 2027 plans.
Spire suspended Hocevar for the Homestead finale over his actions at Martinsville Speedway on Nov. 1. SMT data showed Hocevar brake-checking Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford several times after a restart, damaging the nose and ending Cindric’s day. Cindric finished 36th. NASCAR later fined Hocevar $100,000 and docked him 25 driver points, but Spire acted on its own.
“Racing at the Cup level is a privilege, and it comes with an expected level of professionalism from everyone who represents Spire Motorsports,” co-owner Jeff Dickerson said, according to Spire Motorsports’ own statement. Hocevar called his suspension “an embarrassing day” and said he “crossed the line.” He expects to return in 2027.
Why Spire Motorsports Chose Justin Haley Over Corey Day
Spire has not publicly addressed the decision not to race Day in Hocevar’s place.
Haley delivered the organization’s first Cup win in the rain-shortened 2019 Daytona race, driving the No. 77 in only his third career start. He ran full time for Spire in 2025 in the No. 7 and finished 31st in points. The team did not bring him back for 2026. Haley now runs full time for Kaulig Racing in the Truck Series, which leaves him free for a one-off Cup start.
Haley had 180 Cup starts, one win, 18 top-10 finishes and no poles through 2025. His best points finish was 22nd in 2022 with Kaulig. Day is set to make his Cup debut in 2027, driving part time for Spire.
Born April 28, 1999, in Winamac, Indiana, Haley started in quarter midgets at age 9. He took the 2016 K&N Pro Series East championship, then won three Truck Series races in 2018 and reached the Championship 4. He added four wins in what was then the Xfinity Series, three in 2020 and one in 2021.
Corey Day’s Title Shot and Spire’s 2027 Plan
Day, 20, was born Nov. 28, 2005, in Clovis, California, the son of West Coast sprint car racer Ronnie Day. He climbed through dirt bikes, micro sprints and sprint cars, and won the 2023 King of the West championship. In 2024, he became the youngest winner of the Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Day is a Hendrick Motorsports development driver under a long-term contract. Hendrick has reached the four-car charter limit, so Day is slated for five or six Cup starts for Spire in 2027 in open entries. Those races are planned for the middle to late part of the season. Day has not yet run a Cup race.
His first full O’Reilly season in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet has produced four wins, at Talladega, Dover, Las Vegas and Charlotte. After Martinsville, Day sits third with 2,413 points, 23 behind leader Justin Allgaier and one behind Jesse Love. Carson Kvapil trails Allgaier by 31 points and Sheldon Creed by 42. Five drivers remain eligible for the title, and Day has described it as essentially a must-win situation.
The O’Reilly championship race goes green Saturday at 5 p.m. EST. The Cup finale follows Sunday. Spire has not said whether that schedule played into its decision, but Haley has no O’Reilly Series commitment that weekend, and Day’s Cup work with the team does not begin until 2027.
Why Did Spire Snub Corey Day as Carson Hocevar’s NASCAR Replacement?