Justin Haley returns to GMS Racing for 2018 NASCAR Trucks season

GMS announced Monday that Haley, 18, would return to the No. 24 Chevrolet this season and will continued to be sponsored by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

Haley missed the first two races of the 2017 season as he was not yet 18-years-old and eligible to compete. The 2018 season opener at Daytona International Speedway and the following week at Atlanta will be his first series races at those respective tracks.

“We found a lot of success toward the end of the 2017 season, so there’s a good amount of momentum that we can carry over into this year,” said Haley. “The No. 24 team is working hard in the off-season to take us to that next level, to be able to keep running up front and improving week to week.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be competing for a championship when we get to Miami, and I couldn’t be more excited to be heading in that direction.”

In 21 starts last season, Haley posted three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. He earned his first pole at Texas in November, becoming the youngest pole winner in the track’s history. He also won two ARCA races last season in three starts – at Talladega, Ala., and Pocono.

“It’s been really encouraging to see the work that not only this team has done, but that Justin has put in over the off-season,” said Haley’s crew chief, Kevin Bellicourt. “From working in the gym to time on the simulator, he’s focused on getting himself prepared to make a run for the title.

“The team has put everything we’ve got behind him and we’ve watched him do the same. It feels like all the pieces are coming together at the right time.”