NASCAR Cup Series veteran Corey LaJoie won’t return to Spire Motorsports for the 2025 Cup season.
During the current two-week Olympic break, The Athletic first reported Thursday that LaJoie was informed by Spire Motorsports management on July 24 that he would not return to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro, adding another element to what a busy silly season has already been this year.
“I won’t be driving the 7 car next year,” LaJoie told The Athletic. “I take a lot of satisfaction from having an integral part of building Spire into a respectable team on the grid, but unfortunately the future won’t involve me.
“We will finish the remainder of 2024 strong, continuing to deliver for my partners, my guys who work hard to build good cars, family, fans & friends who have supported me since day one in the Cup Series.
“This chapter ends after Phoenix and I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store for my family next.”
Moving up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series, LaJoie, 32, graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017.
After driving for BK Racing, TriStar Motorsports and GoFas Racing, the son of two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, moved to Spire Motorsports for the start of the 2021 season.
With the guidance of crew chief Ryan Sparks, Lajoie has helped the team grow to a three-car organization while also contending for race wins on the superspeedways.
LaJoie has earned six of his nine career top-10 Cup finishes with Spire, while all four of his top-five finishes also came aboard the No. 7 Chevrolet.
The Concord, N.C. native announced last August a multi-year contract extension to retain him at Spire Motorsports, but after a lackluster 2024 Cup Series season, the extension won’t continue following the Cup Series season finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in November.
Through 24 races in 2024, LaJoie has posted just one top five with a fourth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, boasting a new partnership with Chili’s.
Since Daytona, the results have been mixed. With a stack of top-20 finishes, the No. 7 Chevrolet team has also mounted six finishes outside the top 30 with one DNF (did not finish).
LaJoie finished 14th in the most recent Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but is a distant 28th in Cup points. He needs a win before the Playoffs begin at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in September to ensure a spot in the top-16 championship seed.
Last year, LaJoie soared to an admirable Cup Series season which included two top-five and three top-10 finishes and a career-high 25th in the championship standings without a DNF throughout the 36-race season.
Spire Motorsports brought two new drivers on board this season, with Truck Series standout Carson Hocevar driving the No. 77 Chevrolet. The rookie has collected two top-10 finishes so far and stands 24th in the Cup championship standings.
Zane Smith, on loan from Trackhouse Racing but driving the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro for Spire Motorsports, earned a team-season-high second at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June.
Earlier this month, Spire Motorsports included LaJoie as part of their plans for next season.
With the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing, Spire nabbed championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childress to lead the No. 7 Chevrolet next season.
“We are beyond excited to announce Rodney Childers as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team beginning in 2025,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson in a July 9 statement.
Tuesday evening, Dickerson confirmed the driver change for next season.
“Corey LaJoie has been a cornerstone of Spire Motorsports since 2021 and it would be impossible to overstate what he’s meant to this organization and how much I’ve agonized over this decision,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Corey put his heart and soul into this team. He rolled up his sleeves and went to work before we had a race shop, a toolbox or even our own cars.
“Those days, looking back, were so much simpler than where we are in our journey now. Back then, we just wanted to get to the racetrack. Today, we’re consumed with consistently battling for top-10 finishes and contending for wins in the near future.”
Dickerson added that several factors contributed to the team’s decision, but they will do everything possible to assist LaJoie finding a new Cup home for 2025.
“In racing, there are always variables but one thing we all know, is this is a performance-based business, and it just hasn’t been there for several reasons. All those reasons are factored in when it comes to making a decision of this magnitude. With Ryan (Sparks) moving upstairs, and Rodney (Childers) coming in next season, the best thing for Spire Motorsports is a clean slate for the No. 7 car in 2025.
“Corey deserves a fresh look from another organization, too, and we’ll do everything we can to help him get another opportunity in the Cup garage. I believe in Corey and his ability to be successful in this sport and look forward to him using this as motivation to prove all his doubters wrong.”
LaJoie’s replacement remains unknown for next season at this time.
In May, Spire Motorsports inked Michael McDowell to a multiyear contract to replace Smith to drive the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro. Hocevar will return to the organization next year for a sophomore season.
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
