Go Fas Racing and driver Corey LaJoie announced Friday that the two will amicably part ways following the conclusion of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series and while the news wasn’t all that shocking to some, the question that lingers is who will replace LaJoie for the 2021 season?
Team owner Archie St. Hilaire and son Mason who manages the day-to-day operations of the No. 32 Ford Mustang team doesn’t know who will pilot their cars starting with next year’s Daytona 500, but what they do know is they are looking for that next young-gun to fill the shoes for at least the next two seasons.
“It’s been a good two years with Corey, but as we both agreed, it’s time for him to move on to his next chapter and for us to explore the future,” said Archie St. Hilaire who has owned a Cup Series team for the past seven years.
“We’ve built Go Fas Racing into that development program to get to the next step. In our equipment, people will notice.
“They will notice running where we run, and they will notice whether our drivers can drive and are either going to move up or perhaps even re-consider their occupation.”
For the past four years, St. Hilaire hasn’t had to worry about his program going backwards.
Matt DiBenedetto spent two years with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team and now has found himself nestled inside the Team Penske circle by landing the Wood Brothers Racing ride carrying on the legacy behind the famed No. 21 Ford Mustang.
LaJoie has options on the table to drive for a better team, an opportunity that will likely allow the son of two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie to potentially reach new heights in his NASCAR career.
And for now, that’s the winning moment for Go Fas Racing – seeing their drivers succeed and offered opportunities to bigger and better things.
That chance to visit Victory Lane, a place the St. Hilaire team knows they are potentially years away from experiencing themselves.
But – why not fight harder to build Go Fas into a much more competitive operation – a place that would keep drivers their longer?
St. Hilaire isn’t interested in blossoming Go Fas Racing into the glitz and glamour of a powerhouse NASCAR Cup Series team, yet.
What they are doing right now is following a model they’ve built well and one that works for them.
“We are a one-car team with 20 employees, and we succeed in our eyes,” he said. “I believe our team is well-respected in the garage for our size and what we produce on the track.
“Of course, NASCAR is entertainment for a lot of people, but for us, it’s a business. We make the business model work for us right where we are at. Our goal is to be 29th in points by the end of the season and hopefully be two positions higher next year and so on.
“The dynamics from a small guy from Maine, you’re comfortable in your shoes. I’m so happy for Matt and our friends the Wood Brothers. So happy. We are all still good friends with Matt and we’ll still be friends with Corey.
“There isn’t any bad blood, things change. That’s just part of the sport and business.”
He also said that being a smaller team will allow their new driver to build bonds rather than just being a face and a name.
“We are much more personal whether it’s employees, sponsors or whatever,” he said.
“Well-rounded. I want to be something different. We don’t have all the bells and whistles, but our driver’s success is our success. Matt continues that with Wood Brothers and Corey gets a good ride – that all looks good on us and that’s what we are looking to continue to build with our next driver.”
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series certainly hasn’t been easy for anyone. The first four races started like normal then like the rest of the world fell into the clutches of the coronavirus pandemic.
And while the situation has certainly presented its challenges from both a team and competition aspect, St. Hilaire said he is not only proud of his team for overcoming the hurdles of adjusting the shop to meet COVID-protocols but also maintaining a sound structure while being thrown an aggressive NASCAR Cup schedule.
“This new model has been tough, especially for us with doubleheaders,” he said. “But, we haven’t laid anyone off and we’re in a good spot. Moving forward, post-COVID, I hope we can find a compromise between a one-day show and a three-day show and I think it will be on point.
“I’m totally happy with what NASCAR has done, I know it hasn’t been easy. We (NASCAR) have been the leader in the COVID stuff. Steve Phelps, Jim France, the whole administration has had a whole lot of pressure on them. But we are in a better position than a lot of other professional sports and I appreciate everything they have done.”
Looking ahead to 2021, St. Hilaire knows bringing a new driver in won’t be as simple as just firing up the engine, but he said the passion and patience that his team has within the walls is enough to keep everyone positive thinking ahead.
“There will be some challenging times ahead, but we can and will make it,” he said. “We’re looking at and for guys that have proven themselves in a lower division. How they can drive. Can they keep the equipment underneath them?
“If they can tag along some sponsorship with him and drive, that’s an even bigger plus. We don’t take any money out of the program. We pour everything back into it.
“We’ll have about a 6.9 million budget this year and I’m hopeful that we’ll have a seven to eight-million-dollar program next year.
“Our crew chief Ryan Sparks is doing a super job. He was the lead engineer on the No. 3 Cup car and he’s over here and doing well. We know there’s going to be some trial and an error with the crew chief and driver working together.
“It took about six races, a couple races post-COVID for him and Corey to get on the same page. It takes a little time, but it won’t take long.”
An asset that Go Fas knows is a benefit in sparking new drivers’ interest is their technical alliance with Stewart Haas Racing.
St. Hilaire says he has begun talks about extending their relationship for 2021 and hopefully beyond.
“They have over-delivered and we’re really hoping things fall in line and we can work with them in 2021,” he said. “We are talking (now) with SHR. I’m 100 percent, no, 110 percent glad I went that route.”
While knowing Go Fas isn’t going to be a Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing or even Team Penske anytime soon, there are still goals and dreams.
“Our next phase is to go into the ‘A’ motor program than our current ‘B’ motor program with Roush Yates,” he said. “It’s worth three to four spots if not more. That costs a lot though.
“It costs seven figures to go to that next level though. We’ll look at it. It’s a place we want to eventually be – but it will come when it makes sense for us.”
The thought of becoming a two-car team isn’t even something Go Fas Racing is close to entertaining.
“You can’t become a two-car team until our solo team is successful,” he said. “We’ve got two spots better or more over the last couple of years.
“I have 10 years in NASCAR, seven in Cup. We don’t have (an) unlimited budget. Until we get into (finishing in) the teens on a consistent basis, we won’t even entertain that.”
And while the sport has watched Furniture Row Racing and soon to be Levine Family Racing close up shop, St. Hilaire hopes to have a viable program for years to come and credits his stabilization in the sport because of the current charter agreement set in place.
“I’m a businessman first,” St. Hilaire expressed. “I’m a businessman before a racer. Even though it’s entertainment, it’s still a business and that has ensured our survival.
“There’s a lot of stuff in the charter business. 2020 is a remarkably busy year for the charters. I’d love to be here for a long time, but like anything else in the sport, it all depends on funding.
“Having a charter though has guaranteed us sponsorship and that’s important in part of our survival especially for a race like the Daytona 500.
“In the pre-charter days, you might be in the Daytona 500. Couldn’t guarantee it. I can’t go sell the Daytona 500 if I’m not sure I’ll be in it. And if you aren’t in it, it trickles down from there.
“That’s our Super Bowl and if I can’t guarantee I’m not in that race, it’s hard to guarantee much of anything. Believe me, our very first race we failed to qualify, and we had sponsors there. There’s nothing worse in this industry than missing a race.
“I never want to do that again. Charters have been good and a good base especially for us.”
With the 2021 season-opener less than six months away, they don’t have to worry about whether or not they will be in the Daytona 500 though.
Their biggest concern is choosing the right door for that next driver to represent them in the Great American Race.
A calm St. Hilaire mentioned, “Corey will go on and have a successful career and our doors are (now) open for that next and upcoming driver.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
