Spire Motorsports releases Andres Perez in mid-season shakeup

Spire Motorsports has decided to part ways with driver Andres Perez, effective immediately. The Mexican-born driver currently sits 17th in the championship standings with just two top tens this year. The split seems mutual, as the team said they are "permitting Andrés Pérez de Lara to explore other opportunities" for the rest of the season.

“Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future,” said Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony. “While we haven’t finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond. He’s a hard worker, carries himself with humility, and brings a consistently positive attitude to the garage. He comes from a great family, and we fully expect him to continue making strides as part of Chevrolet’s driver development program. We’re proud to have been part of his journey and will continue cheering him on.”

Andres Perez de Lara, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Justin Casterline / Getty Images

Spire is also switching the owner's points from the No. 07 truck to the No. 77 truck as they make preparations for the owner's championship. The No. 07 was already in the playoffs via a race win, while the No. 77 was not before the swap. NASCAR veteran Corey LaJoie will pilot the No. 77 for the remainder of the 2025 season, while the No. 07 will not be used in any future races this year.

Perez heads to Niece Motorsports

Perez's release from the team opens the door for him to join Niece Motorsports, where he will drive the No. 44 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2025 season. He will bring his Telcel sponsorship with him

"Overall, I'm really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports," said Pérez de Lara. "Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. I'm really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well." 

Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen - Getty Images

Niece is also making some organizational changes, prompting engineer Landon Polinski to the role of new chief for the No. 42 team. This change allows Mike Shiplett to oversee the return of the No. 41, which will run part-time and makes its debut at Richmond this weekend.

Niece recently made another major change, abruptly releasing full-time driver (and playoff contender) Kaden Honeycutt, replacing him with Bayley Currey for the rest of the year. Honeycutt has found a new home, filling in for the injured Stewart Friesen in the No. 52 Halmar-Friesen Racing entry.