With Zane Smith being officially announced to drive the third FRM car for 2025, there is only one seat vacant for any potential drivers to secure their ride in the Cup car. And that ride is the No. 51 Ford Mustang at Rick Ware Racing. Corey LaJoie drove the car for the last seven races of the 2024 campaign in a surprising mid-season swap.
Justin Haley moved to the No. 7 team at Spire Motorsports, whereas LaJoie got an opportunity to prove his worth in a new environment. Haley secured a multi-year deal with Spire and will lead the flagship team program moving forward, but Corey LaJoie had no such assurances from Rick Ware Racing. It was going to be a tough task even for an experienced driver like LaJoie to retain a seat for 2025. And Smith’s confirmation has only made things sketchy for the 33-year-old driver.
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Adding to his woes is the prediction made by FOX reporter Bob Pockrass, who answered a query by a race fan on X. “I thought Corey had been confirmed for the 51???” asked the fan, to which Pockrass replied, “Corey LaJoie is still working on his 2025 plans but not expected to be full time in the RWR No. 51 in 2025. Cody Ware appears to be the likely driver of that car.”
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With Riley Herbst taking up the third entry at 23XI Racing and Smith returning to FRM, LaJoie’s only hope for Cup racing is through Rick Ware. But, given that Rick Ware’s son Cody is also in contention for the seat, the odds are certainly stacked up against the former Spire Motorsports driver.
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This is a developing story.