NASCAR Insider predicts Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver to replace Corey LaJoie at Spire Motorsports in 2025

FOX reporter Bob Pockrass has indicated that Sam Mayer, a rising star in the Xfinity Series racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports, might be in the running to replace Corey LaJoie. LaJoie, who has been with Spire Motorsports since 2021, plans to part ways with the team after the 2024 season.

During his tenure, LaJoie notched up four top-five and six top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish at this year’s Daytona 500. In response to speculation about potential replacements, including whether Connor Zilisch could be a contender for the seat at Spire Motorsports, Pockrass suggested that Mayer might be a strong candidate for the role. He wrote:

"I think they’d rather get Zilisch a year in Xfinity. Just thinking of people with Chevy or Spire ties and Haley, Mayer is the first to come to mind."

Sam Mayer started his NASCAR Xfinity Series career without a win in his first 80 races, but he has since claimed victory in six of the last 34 events.

Turning a corner with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports, Mayer first tasted victory at Road America in 2023. Now, there's talk about Mayer moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series. He has been tied to discussions about joining a second NASCAR team.

Bob Pockrass has linked Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s prodigy not just to Spire Motorsports but also suggested that Mayer could be considered for a seat in Kaulig Racing’s #16 car or as a third entry for Front Row Motorsports.

Apart from Mayer, Pockrass has also named Justin Haley as a likely candidate for Spire Motorsports' #7 car. Haley, a former Spire driver, grabbed headlines with his win at the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, his third Cup Series race, which concluded early due to weather. He's now with Rick Ware Racing, notching two top-10 finishes this season.

Amidst these developments, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mayer’s boss, has expressed his admiration for the grit of Late Model Stock Racing.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. opines on the state of Late Model Stock Car Racing

Sharing his insights with FloRacing about the state of Late Model Stock Car Racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted:

"I think we're living in peak times right; these are really good times for Late Model Stock Racing. There's been good times in the past. We've got challenges today. Things are expensive. Racing is hard. Budgets are tough. Guys can't afford to run a touring series like the CARs Tour."

He explained that while funding might restrict some teams to local events, the diversity of competition is robust.

Earnhardt emphasized that different teams take various approaches to racing depending on what they can manage financially. But the Late Model Stock Car Racing is in a great era, and people should come out to appreciate it more.