Justin Haley Bio
Justin Christmann Haley (born April 28, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports. Haley is a former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion and one of the youngest drivers to win a race in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. Off the track, he owns Darkhorse Racecars, a chassis manufacturer focused on dirt late model and dirt modified race cars.
Born in the small town of Winamac, Indiana, Haley began racing quarter midgets at age nine and steadily climbed the stock car ladder. He has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, earning wins at some of the sport’s most iconic tracks, including Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
Early Life and Background
Justin Christmann Haley was born on April 28, 1999, in Winamac, Indiana. He is the son of John Haley and Melissa Braun-Dennis, and he is one of four children in the family, with two younger sisters and an older brother. Haley is the nephew of Todd Braun, the owner of Braun Motorsports, which gave him an early connection to professional stock car racing. He now resides in North Carolina with his wife.
Haley began his racing career at age nine, competing in quarter midgets at the Kokomo Quarter Midget Club during the summer of 2008. He moved through the KQMC, Indiana State Series, and the Light 160 State Championships between 2009 and 2011, building a foundation in dirt and short-track competition. The combination of family ties to a NASCAR team and grassroots track experience shaped his path toward the national touring series.
Path to NASCAR
In 2014, Haley made his K&N Pro Series East debut, running three races with a best finish of seventh at Dover International Speedway. The following year, he joined HScott Motorsports to compete full-time in the Pro Series East, contending for Rookie of the Year honors. His early development was guided by his family’s Braun Motorsports connections and the team owners who gave him opportunities in stock cars.
In 2016, Haley recorded his first Pro Series East victory at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. He went on to win the series championship that same year, finishing in the top ten in all fourteen races, the only driver in series history to accomplish the feat. That championship run earned him a promotion into the Camping World Truck Series, where he debuted in 2015 with Braun Motorsports before moving to GMS Racing in 2017.
Justin Haley Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
Haley made his NASCAR national series debut in 2015 at Bristol Motor Speedway, driving the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado for Braun Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series. He posted a fourteenth-place finish in his first start, then added a top-ten run at Phoenix International Raceway later that season. In December 2016, it was announced that he would move to GMS Racing’s No. 24 truck beginning in 2017.
During his first full Truck Series season in 2017, Haley finished twelfth in the final standings. Because of NASCAR’s age restrictions, he missed the first two races of the year, and his team brought in substitute drivers for Daytona and Atlanta. The 2017 season laid the groundwork for the breakthrough that followed the next year.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2018–2019)
Haley’s 2018 Truck Series season marked his first true arrival in NASCAR. Driving the No. 24 for GMS Racing, he captured his first career Truck victory at Gateway in June, which locked him into the playoffs. He added two more wins that year, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Texas Motor Speedway, both coming in dramatic fashion as late-race contact or fuel issues played out in front of him. Haley finished third in the final Truck Series standings in 2018.
His success on the Truck circuit translated into opportunities in NASCAR’s two upper national series. In 2018, Haley also made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway with GMS Racing, opening the door to a full-time Xfinity ride the following season.
Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2019–2021)
In December 2018, Kaulig Racing announced Haley as the full-time driver of the No. 11 Xfinity car for 2019, replacing Ryan Truex. He qualified for the Xfinity playoffs that year and finished the season twelfth in points with twenty top-ten finishes. His first Xfinity win came in June 2020 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he started on the pole, won the first stage, and held on for the victory.
That Talladega win made Haley the 32nd driver to win a race in all three NASCAR national touring series, joining an elite group of competitors who have reached victory lane in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series. In 2021, he won the July Daytona Xfinity race for the second straight year, beating teammate A. J. Allmendinger by 0.023 seconds. He advanced to the Round of 8 and finished the season sixth in points.
Cup Series Era (2019–2025)
Haley joined Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 entry for his Cup Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2019. Just a few months later, in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Haley inherited the lead under caution and won the race when lightning and rain ended the event early, giving him his first Cup victory in only his third start. He then moved to Kaulig Racing for the 2020 Daytona 500 and later ran a full Cup schedule for the team beginning in 2022 in the No. 31 Chevrolet.
After a 2023 season that included an L2 penalty and a near-victory at the inaugural Chicago Street Course, Haley signed a multi-year deal with Rick Ware Racing for 2024. He later swapped rides with Corey LaJoie at Spire Motorsports during the fall of 2024 and was announced as LaJoie’s full-time replacement for 2025. On October 14, 2025, Spire announced that the team and Haley would part ways after the 2025 season.
Kaulig Racing Era (2026–Present)
On October 29, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced that Haley would join its Ram Trucks program in 2026. The move returns him to a team where he previously won multiple Xfinity races, including the Talladega and Daytona victories that helped him become the 32nd driver to win in all three NASCAR national series.
Driving Style and Strengths
Haley has built much of his reputation on superspeedway and road course racing, where clean air, fuel strategy, and late-race patience often decide the outcome. His ability to avoid chaos on drafting tracks has produced wins at Daytona and Talladega across multiple series. Crew chief partnerships at Kaulig and GMS helped him refine his race craft, and his short-track background from quarter midgets and dirt racing has made him comfortable in tight, physical racing conditions.
Notable Races and Milestones
Haley’s 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 victory at Daytona, scored in only his third Cup start, stands as the defining moment of his career. He followed it with dramatic Truck Series wins at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Texas in 2018 and back-to-back Xfinity wins at Daytona in 2020 and 2021. He is the 32nd driver in NASCAR history to win a race in all three of the sport’s national touring series.
Justin Haley Career Wins
Justin Haley has recorded wins in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series, along with regional success in the K&N Pro Series East. His victories span superspeedways, road courses, and short tracks, and he reached the playoffs in both the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Haley has three career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins. He captured his first at Gateway in June 2018, then added victories at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Texas Motor Speedway later that same season. He returned to the Truck Series in 2025, driving the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports. In October 2025, Kaulig Racing announced that Haley would join its Ram Trucks program in 2026.
Xfinity Series Highlights
Haley has multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, all of which came with Kaulig Racing. His first came at Talladega Superspeedway in June 2020, a victory that made him the 32nd driver to win a race in all three NASCAR national touring series. He followed it with back-to-back July Daytona wins in 2020 and 2021, including a 0.023-second margin of victory over teammate A. J. Allmendinger in 2021.
Cup Series Highlights
Haley has one NASCAR Cup Series victory, the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The win came in only his third career Cup start, driving for Spire Motorsports, and it was Spire’s first win in their maiden season.
Other Wins and Performances
In 2016, Haley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, finishing in the top ten in all fourteen races, the only driver in series history to do so. He also won the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 during that championship season, one of several regional and developmental series highlights on his resume.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 1 | — | — |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 3 | — | — |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 3 | — | — |
| NASCAR K&N Pro Series East | 1 | 14 | — |
Justin Haley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Justin Haley is the son of John Haley and Melissa Braun-Dennis, and he is the nephew of Todd Braun, the owner of Braun Motorsports. The Braun family connection gave Haley his earliest opportunities in NASCAR national series competition, including his 2015 Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is one of four children, with two younger sisters and an older brother.
Personal Life
Haley lives in North Carolina. On November 17, 2023, he married Haley Mottinger. He has gone vegan for extended stretches of time, and he also owns Darkhorse Racecars, a chassis manufacturer focused on dirt late model and dirt modified race cars.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Haley’s return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In January 2025, it was announced that he would drive the No. 7 entry for Spire Motorsports, beginning at Daytona. The move brought him back to a series where he had previously won three races and finished third in the final standings in 2018.
During the 2025 Cup Series portion of his schedule, Haley competed for Spire Motorsports after swapping rides with Corey LaJoie during the fall of 2024. On October 14, 2025, Spire announced that the team and Haley would part ways after the 2025 season. Just over two weeks later, on October 29, 2025, Kaulig Racing announced that Haley would join its Ram Trucks program in 2026.
Looking ahead, Haley’s late-season move to Kaulig Racing sets up a fresh chapter in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. With a Ram Trucks-backed ride in 2026 and a track record of superspeedway wins, he enters his new role with momentum and the experience of having reached victory lane in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
