Corey LaJoie faces immense pressure with Rodney Childers joining in 2025: 'There will not be any excuses'
Corey LaJoie will be teamed up with Rodney Childers next year, which means he will be expected to have a lot of success. NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic spoke about Childers joining Spire Motorsports on The Teardown podcast, and they believe that LaJoie will face a ton of pressure to win consistently.
“I would argue that there’s probably no driver on a greater hot seat than Corey LaJoie next year,” Bianchi said. “He’s going to have the expectation of, ‘You can’t have a year like this.’ This has been a frustrating year, there’s been a lot of mistakes, they have underperformed this year. It has not gone well. There will not be any excuses next year.
“From what Spire has done in this move, I think it signifies they’re here to play. They are willing to spend money, they’re bringing in people; Rodney Childers, Michael McDowell, Carson Hocevar. They are going out, they’re buying a charter, they are committed to this.”
Gluck also believes that LaJoie will be expected to do more than finish in the top 15 each week. “If you’re LaJoie, you’re not having to settle for a top 15 is great today,” Gluck said. You have the resources, you’re going to be paired with a championship-winning guy, future Hall of Fame crew chief, and you just go out and do it. This is the shot.
“Yes it’s pressure, yes it’s more expectations, but that’s what comes with a good ride and a fast car. I would think you would want that, you would embrace that if you’re LaJoie. This is the chance that you’ve been building towards. He’s got it now.”
Rodney Childers reacts to working with Corey LaJoie
Childers signed a multi-year contract with Spire Motorsports last week. He has won 40 Cup Series races as a crew chief and led Kevin Harvick to a Cup Series championship in 2014. He’s now ready to help LaJoie become a top driver in the Cup Series.
“I think the biggest thing is seeing how Spire Motorsports has grown over the last couple of years,” Childers said in a press release. “They are investing in people, and that’s what makes a difference these days. We all buy the same chassis, bodies and parts. What makes a difference is the people. Spire continues to invest in the people within the team and they seek out good people to add depth to an already strong group. Corey (LaJoie) is a veteran of the sport and I think we have a tremendous opportunity in front of us.”