The No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet driver, Corey LaJoie, will not be rejoining the organization after the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Spire Motorsports said on Thursday.
Co-owner of Spire Motorsports Jeff Dickerson stated in a team statement, “Corey LaJoie has been a cornerstone of this organization 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.”
“Corey gave this team his entire being.” Before we ever had a toolbox, a race shop, or even our own cars, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Looking back, those times were so much simpler than where we are at this point in our journey.
All we wanted to do back then was get to the racetrack. Nowadays, we’re preoccupied with always competing for top-10 placements and upcoming victories.
There are always going to be unknowns in racing, but one thing we can all agree on is that this is a performance-based industry that hasn’t taken off for a variety of reasons.
When making a choice this big, all those considerations are taken into account. The best thing that can happen to Spire Motorsports with Ryan Sparks moving upstairs and Rodney Childers joining next season is a fresh start for the No. 7 vehicle in 2025.
We’ll do everything in our power to provide Corey another chance to work in the Cup garage because he deserves a second shot from a different organization. I have faith in Corey’s capacity to succeed in this sport, and I hope he will use this as fuel to disprove everyone who has doubted him.
LaJoie competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for Spire for four years. In 129 races, he has finished in the top ten six times, including three times at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Daytona International Speedway.
His career-best finish was fourth. Prior to joining Spire, the 32-year-old driver competed in races for BK Racing, TriStar Motorsports, and GoFas Racing. He made his Cup debut in 2014.
With four races remaining in the 2024 regular season, LaJoie sits 28th in points.
The revelation was first reported by The Athletic, which LaJoie told them she wouldn’t be driving the 7 vehicle the following year.
“I’m really proud of myself for playing a major role in making Spire a reputable grid squad, but I’m afraid I won’t be around in the future. We’re going to close off 2024 strong, delivering for my partners, my colleagues who put in a lot of work to produce outstanding cars, my family, and my friends who have backed me since the beginning of the Cup Series. “After Phoenix, this chapter comes to an end, and I’m eager to see what the Lord has in store for my family going forward.”
It’s been an active Silly Season for Spire as the organization announced that Michael McDowell will pilot the No. 71 Chevrolet beginning next season and crew chief Rodney Childers will sit atop the box for the No. 7 team following the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the year
