NASCAR Cup Series Driver Corey LaJoie Leaving Spire Motorsports
Corey LaJoie will leave the Spire Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team at the end of the 2024 season, Lajoie confirmed on Thursday.
The Athletic broke the news that LaJoie would be leaving after four seasons with the team. This leaves the No. 7 car up for grabs next year.
“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,” LaJoie told the outlet. “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.”
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LaJoie is currently 28th in the season standings, while his rookie teammates Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith are 24th and 33rd, respectively. LaJoie’s finished 29th, 31st and 25th for the team the past three years.
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Smith is under contract with Trackhouse Racing and on loan at Spire. Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell is already set to replace him in the No. 71 car in 2025 and no announcement on a LaJoie replacement has been made.
Spire recently confirmed that 40-race winning crew chief Rodney Childers will be taking over the No. 7 car next year after Stewart-Haas Racing shuts down, which signals Spire is looking to field a very competitive car.
Shane Van Gisbergen is also on the Trackhouse roster and currently leads the Xfinity Series playoff standings with three wins.