Corey LaJoie announced Thursday that he will not return to Spire Motorsports after this season. “I won’t be driving the (No.) 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 and friends who have supported me since Day 1 in the Cup Series.” LaJoie, 32, recorded four top-5 finishes in 129 races during his four years with Spire in the NASCAR Cup Series. He made his Cup debut in 2014 and competed with BK Racing, TriStar Motorsports and GoFas Racing prior to Spire. LaJoie sits 28th in points with four races remaining in the regular 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 team 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 race track. Today, we’re consumed with consistently battling for top-10 finishes and contending for wins in the near future.”
LaJoie was not quoted in Spire’s news release but he offered a statement to The Athletic earlier Thursday in which he confirmed his departure but vowed to “finish the remainder of 2024 strong.”
It was less than one year ago – August 2023 – that Spire announced a multi-year contract extension with LaJoie.
“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,” Dickerson said. “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.”
LaJoie has 258 starts in the Cup Series over nine seasons, 22 starts in Xfinity and five in Trucks. He has neve won a NASCAR national series race.
