After spending eight years running for various underfunded organizations in the NASCAR Cup Series, Corey LaJoie found himself on the outside looking in following his release from Spire Motorsports.
In the year that has passed, the Concord, North Carolina-native has seen a total transformation, both in his driving career and his overall involvement in the world of NASCAR — including a gig as an analyst on Prime Video’s inaugural season of NASCAR coverage.
LaJoie has continued to make sporadic appearances behind the wheel this season, competing in four NASCAR Cup Series events in the No. 01 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, and nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events for Spire Motorsports.
According to LaJoie in Monday’s episode of the Stacking Pennies Podcast, the 33-year-old driver’s time competing in NASCAR’s National Series may be winding down.
“I like doing TV. I think I’m gonna start up this carbon fiber business, and if NASCAR wants to keep doing the show, I’ll keep doing the show because I like doing it and having the platform to talk about life and racing,” LaJoie said. “But yeah, Trucks aren’t particularly fun to drive, and also like smashing my head up against the wall, metaphorically. Like, you’re fighting a battle that is just; if you’re not doing it yourself, you deal with all the bullshit. We can’t do a new body build. Well, we can’t build it this way because GM this, and simulation that.”
“So, if I had a really good opportunity call, then sure, I’ll entertain the conversation, but there’s like ten other things that I could be doing right now to start what the next chapter looks like, and I think I’m going to start focusing on that.”
This doesn’t mean LaJoie is giving up on NASCAR competition altogether. The son of two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie is still wide open to make some runs in the DAYTONA 500.
“I’ll entertain DAYTONA 500 offers because I think I can compete for a win in a decent car there, and [I] made the race the hard way a couple of times,” LaJoie added. “So, I think I bring some value to a team, and you could also make about a year’s worth of pay in one week. So, I’ll look at that, but yeah, like Truck Series offers, I’m not entertaining.”
While he would, undoubtedly, love to get back into the NASCAR Cup Series, LaJoie says: “There’s really not any [opportunities] because — it is just what it is, right? You get out of them, you lose your seat. The music stops, and they plus somebody else that’s cheaper and comparable, that can do the same job.”
At just 33 years old, LaJoie is young enough for a career resurgence in the future, but at this time, anyway, it appears that the long-time racer is alright with exploring other avenues within the sport, while chasing an elusive victory in ‘The Great American Race’.
LaJoie, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports, still has four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events on his docket in 2025 — Charlotte ROVAL (October 3), Talladega (October 17), Martinsville (October 24), and Phoenix (October 31). Beyond that, the future of LaJoie’s NASCAR aspirations remains unknown.
