“That’s just about the way the year has gone.” Corey LaJoie summed up his frustrating 2024 season with those words, recognizing early on how things were unraveling. Although 2025 started promisingly with a P4 finish at the Daytona 500 and a top-20 result at Atlanta Speedway, his momentum quickly faltered. In the following eight Cup Series races, LaJoie failed to break into the top 20, reigniting discussions about his future with Spire Motorsports.
LaJoie’s struggles both on and off the track throughout 2024 were widely documented. Beyond his on-track disappointments, he faced personal challenges that impacted his focus. At Spire Motorsports, where he had been a key driver for three full-time seasons, the team hoped he could lead their Cup Series program. His prior experience, including a 2023 Cup start for Hendrick Motorsports as Chase Elliott’s fill-in, bolstered expectations. However, after a strong start to 2024, LaJoie’s season began to unravel by March.
On the Stacking Pennies podcast, LaJoie opened up about the emotional toll of the year, citing a close friend’s life-changing accident as a turning point. “Everybody saw how bad my year was,” he said. “A friend of ours got in an accident and became paralyzed, which sent me spiraling. Here’s someone I admire handling life better than I was.” The stress affected his racing, and LaJoie eventually distanced himself from social media to focus on regaining stability.
Despite his efforts, Spire Motorsports decided to part ways with him mid-season, opting for Justin Haley as a replacement. In July, LaJoie was moved to Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in a swap deal, a decision that blindsided him. Reflecting on the moment, he said, “I was depressed, anxious, and not myself. Then you’re told the team is going in a different direction—it’s tough to hear.”
At RWR, LaJoie delivered respectable performances, but with team owner Rick Ware’s son Cody ready to race full-time, LaJoie knew his time was limited. Recognizing the situation, he encouraged the team to prioritize Cody’s opportunity. During this period, LaJoie also began talks with Amazon for a NASCAR analyst role.
In 2025, LaJoie will step away from full-time racing for the first time, taking on new challenges in broadcasting while embracing a fresh chapter aimed at restoring the happiness he’s been missing.
