Corey LaJoie Losing NASCAR Cup Series Ride at Season's End
Corey LaJoie is looking for a ride for 2025.
Spire Motorsports of the NASCAR Cup Series announced late Thursday afternoon that it LaJoie would not be back in the seat of the team's No. 7 Chevrolet next season. The 32-year-old Cup Series veteran has been with Spire since 2021 and has scored four top-five and six top-10 finishes for the team.
LaJoie, who finished fourth in this year's Daytona 500, made his Cup Series debut back in 2014.
The move is the most recent personnel change in the shakeup of the team for 2025. LaJoie's crew chief Ryan Sparks is set to become the team's full-time competition director in 2025, and Rodney Childers is coming on board to serve as crew chief for the No. 7 car next year.
The team issued the following statement:
“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.
“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.”