Corey LaJoie will not return to the driver’s seat of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025. The driver confirmed the news to the Athletic Thursday.
“I won’t be driving the 7 car next year,” LaJoie he said. “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 and friends who have supported me since Day 1 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.”
The 32-year-old made his NASCAR Cup debut in 2014 and spent his first seasons with BK Racing, TriStar Motorsports and GoFas Racing before landing at Spire where he has spent the last four years amassing a record of four top-5 and six top 10 finishes. His best finish of third came on three separate times, one each at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway.
Late Thursday the team confirmed the news in a 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.”
In addition to the No. 7 for LaJoie, the team also fields the No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Zane Smith and No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Carson Hocevar. The team also fields three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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