What’s Happening?

Corey LaJoie’s NASCAR Cup Series career is under a cloud of uncertainty. He will not compete for Spire Motorsports in 2025 despite signing a multi-year contract before the season. This move came late in the game, and it has turned the question from what Cup Series ride LaJoie will get to whether he will get a Cup Series ride.

• Corey LaJoie is in his sixth full-time Cup Series season with over 250 career starts. However, he has yet to win a race and hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish on a non-superspeedway track.
• Silly Season is in full swing, meaning rides are being gobbled up left and right. With so many divers already with a head start, LaJoie has a lot working against him to find a full-time Cup Series ride.
• Funding is also an issue for him. Does he have enough to fill any of the few open seats that are out there?

Timing and Open Seats

While there are still 14 races remaining in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Season, Silly Season is in full swing. Unlike other sports, where most player movement happens during the off-season, NASCAR teams and drivers plan their next steps during the season. The most prominent open seats in 2025 Silly Season already have multiple candidates.

Many of these teams could already be deep into conversation with multiple other drivers, which puts LaJoie at a disadvantage. He’s not a driver with an impressive enough record that teams will drop their original plans to see if he is available. If someone like Kyle Busch or Kyle Larson enters the open market, teams may pivot, but not for LaJoie.

However, given his veteran experience, there are a few open seats that he could end up at. Rick Ware Racing and Kaulig Racing both come to mind, but those seats require a lot of funding. How much does LaJoie bring to the table?

Funding

This year, Gainbridge, a Spire sponsor, has been LaJoie’s primary sponsor for 10 of the first 22 races. Aside from that, he has attracted sponsorship from Chili’s (three races), Schluter Systems (two races), Celsius (two races), USANA, Group 1001, Razzle Dazzle, Garner Trucking, and Parity in Paris (one race each).

Simply put, LaJoie doesn’t bring much funding out of the gate. It might be enough for part-time efforts, which both teams currently operate “All-Star Cars.” Even then, both teams have drivers that could come back in 2025.

How much of an objective upgrade is LaJoie over Kaz Grala, Daniel Hemric, or A.J. Allmendinger? Even if LaJoie does bring funding, that could be an issue for him.

It will be difficult for LaJoie to find a Cup Series ride for 2025. However, it is not impossible.

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