Cup Series driver Justin Haley finds himself well outside the playoff picture heading into the NASCAR race today and his history on road courses suggests finishing outside the top 20 is very likely. That could pose a problem since the driver of the No. 7 car is reportedly on the hot seat and in jeopardy of being booted.
Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported that Haley's seat with Spire Motorsports might be "scorching" right now, with ownership not happy with the results its third driver has delivered this season. While a change isn't imminent, Spire could reportedly make an in-season change if Haley doesn't show "considerable improvement" soon.
"There is no hotter seat in the garage than Justin Haley's. How could it not be scorching, considering the performance disparity between him and his two Spire Motorsports teammates? Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell each have been regularly competitive and close to winning."
Related: Potential Justin Haley Replacement Emerges for Spire Motorsports
Justin Haley stats ( Cup Series ): 378 points, 1 top 10, 0 top 5s, 0 poles, 1 DNF, 18 laps led, 22.208 average starting position, 21.304 average finishing position in 23 races
However, the decision to replace Haley isn't cut-and-dry. An overwhelming majority of the top Cup Series drivers are under contract for next season. The pool of talent in NASCAR free agency this offseason thinned out quickly, leaving Spire with limited options who would be viewed as a true upgrade.
The team also knows that it hasn't necessarily put Haley in the best position for success. In April, just nine races into the year, Spire parted ways with Haley's crew chief Rodney Childers. In addition, Haley lost four members of his pit crew to Kyle Larson's No. 5 car when it needed to make changes.
Read More: NASCAR Standings, see where Justin Haley sits on Cup Series points leaderboard
Haley, in his age-26 season, certainly hasn't performed up to expectations since joining Spire in the No. 7 car. Over the last two seasons, he has just four top-10 finishes, and he ranks 29th in average finishing position over the last 36 races among full-time drivers. His teammates, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, have also easily outperformed him.
While Spire's frustrations with its lack of success from its third full-time car are understandable, it doesn't have many other options. Even if a target emerges, the team would also have to deal with its reputation for being a bit impatient with its drivers, even those whose supporting cast gets overhauled abruptly.
Ultimately, all that matters to Spire is the results. For Haley, he just has to hope that he can return to the recent form he delivered in July that led to three top-20 finishes, including 12th in the Brickyard 400.
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