NASCAR: Surprise driver change ends Kyle Busch rumor

When it was announced that Corey LaJoie would not be back with Spire Motorsports for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Busch was reportedly viewed as one of the potential candidates to replace him behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet.

Busch sold his Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck Series team to Spire Motorsports team at the end of the 2023 season, and he has competed for the team at the Truck level on five occasions this year, winning twice.

Additionally, it has been no secret that Busch has experienced significant frustration in year number two following his move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing. While he won three races in the first half of the 2023 season with Richard Childress' team, things went south during the second half, and that trend continued into 2024.

The two-time Cup Series champion did not win a regular season race, and he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012. If he fails to win any of the seven remaining races on the 2024 schedule, the 2024 season will be his first without a win as a full-time driver, ending his win streak at 19 seasons after he broke Richard Petty's record of 18 winning seasons in a row last year.

But Busch isn't going to Spire Motorsports in 2025.

Those rumors had cooled down a bit in recent weeks, primarily due to the fact that Busch's contract with Richard Childress Racing already includes the 2025 season, and now there is officially no chance that Busch will make the move.

Spire Motorsports have decided not to wait until the end of the 2024 season to replace LaJoie.

Justin Haley, who moved from Kaulig Racing to Rick Ware Racing after the 2023 season, is set to replace LaJoie beginning with this Sunday afternoon's race at Kansas Speedway. LaJoie is set to move to what had been Haley's No. 51 Ford at Rick Ware's team.

The move reunites Haley with Spire Motorsports, where he remains their one and only race winner. He pulled off a massive upset in just his third career start in July 2019 at Daytona International Speedway during the team's first ever season in the Cup Series.

It also solidifies the team's driver lineup for next year, as Haley has been confirmed by the organization for the 2025 season as well.

Michael McDowell is set to leave Front Row Motorsports after seven seasons and replace Zane Smith behind the wheel of the No. 71 Chevrolet, and Carson Hocevar is set to return after an impressive rookie season behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet.

And as expected, Busch is set to return for year number three at Richard Childress Racing behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet. As for 2026, Busch's status remains to be seen, as his contract is set to expire at the end of next year.