Daniel Suarez to join Spire Motorsports in 2026
CONCORD, N.C. — Spire Motorsports named Daniel Suarez as the new driver of their No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2026.
Spire made the announcement Wednesday, Oct. 22. Suarez will move from Trackhouse Racing to take over for Justin Haley, who is moving on from the No. 7 team after just one full-time season.
Suarez joins Spire after driving for Trackhouse for five seasons, dating back to its 2021 inception. In that time, Spire has taken off as a team and is now a landing spot for Suarez in 2026 after his release from Trackhouse.
“Spire’s growth over the last few years is quite impressive,” Suarez said. “That’s something I have mentioned to every single member who I have talked to at Spire Motorsports. I’m sure I’m not the only person who can see that and I’m excited to be part of it now. I know that even with the growth Spire has had the last few years, it hasn’t reached its full potential, just yet. There is a lot more out there to achieve and I want to be part of that. I want to use my experience to help my team, and the entire company continue to grow.”
He drove the No. 99 Chevrolet in all five seasons, taking it to two playoff berths after wins at Sonoma in 2022 and Atlanta in 2024.
This season, Suarez has two top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes, 35 laps led and an average finish of 20.9. He sits 28th in points.
Background on Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 NASCAR Cup Series team
Here’s a timeline of events for Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team:
- September 2024: Spire agrees to trade Corey LaJoie to Rick Ware Racing to pick up Justin Haley
- Spire concurrently announces “multi-year deal” with Haley
- August 2025: Haley misses playoffs as rumors swirl about his future
- October 2025: Spire announces Justin Haley will not return to the No. 7 car
Although Haley had a tenure with Spire that saw them win together in July 2019 at Daytona, 2025 marked their first championship run together.
However, Haley has struggled and has paled in comparison to his teammates, including Michael McDowell who is also in his first full-time season with Spire:
| Driver | Top-5 Finishes | Top-10 Finishes | Average Finish | Points Position | Laps Led |
| Justin Haley | 1 | 2 | 22.6 | 31st | 20 |
| Carson Hocevar | 2 | 9 | 21.1 | 23rd | 122 |
| Michael McDowell | 3 | 5 | 18.5 | 21st | 91 |
It is unclear where Haley may land in 2026.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com