Corey LaJoie addresses parting ways with Spire Motorsports: 'It's never been easy'
Corey LaJoie is opening up on the news of his departure from Spire Motorsports once the 2024 season ends. On the latest episode of Stacking Pennies, the NASCAR driver revealed his career has gone in a much different direction than expected.
“I am super appreciative of where I’m at in life financially with my career,” LaJoie said. “It went way different than I ever expected it. Also, it’s never been easy. My entire NASCAR career has not went how I thought it was going to go. So why would I expect anything different, right? Every single plan that I thought I was going to make, it went differently.
“The thing that I’ve been kind of clinging on to the last week or so, and we can get into it, there’s just that Proverbs 16:9. It’s been pinned to my X profile for almost 10 years now. ‘The man can plan his path, but the Lord determines his steps.’ I don’t know what the next step is.”
LaJoie has been with Spire Motorsports since 2021. The thought was that Rodney Childers would be LaJoie’s crew chief for the 2025 season, but Spire announced last week that LaJoie is not returning to the No. 7 car after the 2024 season.
Why Corey LaJoie is not returning to Spire Motorsports
“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,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a statement. “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.”
During his time at Spire, LaJoie recorded four top-five and six to-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish at the Daytona 500 this year. He has yet to win a Cup Series race in 258 starts.