The first event that spun off the Silly Season has now taken an unlikely turn. Michael McDowell’s exit from Front Row Motorsports brought a fresh opportunity in Spire Motorsports. The common idea was that McDowell would replace Zane Smith, but now he may replace another driver. After four long years of racing for Spire, Corey LaJoie is all set to bid a teary goodbye.
Yet his team owner may have a hard time moving on. LaJoie was the team’s flagship bearer when it was struggling. But the fact remains that he failed to fetch results, which NASCAR fans claim should be reason enough for Spire’s co-owner to not bat another eyelid.
Corey LaJoie’s exit throws up possibilities
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The 32-year-old Cup Series veteran crucially played a pivotal role in Spire Motorsports‘ development and success. However, his race results were marred by a drab streak. Corey LaJoie has collected only four top fives and six top 10s over 129 Cup starts. This year, he presently stands 28th in the standings, with only one top-five and one top-ten finish.
Polls of the day Poll 1 of 4 Do you think Corey LaJoie deserves a second chance at Spire Motorsports? Absolutely No way Maybe, but with conditions Not sure Have an interesting take? Join Debate How do you feel about Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity Series stints coming to an end? Sad Happy for his next chapter Angry Indifferent Have an interesting take? Join Debate Is Daniel Suarez’s international success enough to secure him a top NASCAR seat? Absolutely Not yet Needs more wins NASCAR isn’t ready for him Have an interesting take? Join Debate Do you think Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s decision to confiscate the North Wilkesboro champ’s crown was justified? Absolutely Not at all Maybe, but it was harsh I need more details Have an interesting take? Join Debate
Despite LaJoie’s poor runs, he assisted in building the team’s identity and strengthening its presence in the competitive racing landscape, especially via his wildly popular ‘Stacking Pennies’ podcast.
So Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson is still shifting his feet about letting LaJoie go so soon. He talked to Sirius XM NASCAR about the decision, and how a long streak of poor results led to it. “Obviously, the team had been struggling and I had been agonizing over it for a couple months. You guys have been around, I call it struggling team syndrome where everything just gets analyzed to the nth degree.”
Yet Dickerson confessed his thoughts about regretting the decision. Corey LaJoie was a part and parcel of Spire’s growth, so seeing him go feels odd. “The relationships are like deep. Corey’s a guy that was with us when we didn’t have anything…I just thought a clean slate was better for next year. I know you guys aren’t my therapists, I’m not sure that it’s the right decision. I’ve been kind of working through that, I still don’t know that it’s the right decision, I just thought it was gonna be the best decision that we have for 2025.”
Now, as Corey LaJoie wraps up his Cup Series tenure, his vacant seat throws up a possibility for Kyle Busch. The 63-time Cup-winning racer has also struggled in Richard Childress Racing all year and may look for a fresh slate as well. Plus the hints fall in place – Busch sold KBM to Spire last year, and stellar crew chief Rodney Childers moved over to the No. 7 team in Spire. So a Busch-Childers combo may not be too far-fetched, and Rowdy may finally be able to get revenge on LaJoie for their Pocono conflict.
Although Busch himself is not gaining much fanfare, NASCAR fans seem inclined to favor him over LaJoie. So they staunchly opposed Dickerson’s intrusive thoughts.
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The NASCAR community is not on LaJoie’s side
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Well, Corey LaJoie himself peacefully accepted the decision. He admitted to his own mistakes: “I made too many mistakes behind the wheel this year. There were several that took us out of contention for some good results.” However, the driver’s self-reflection would hardly do much to take the seat back. Although Dickerson is potentially reconsidering Spire’s strong call, fans try to console him that the decision was well needed. “They made the right choice on moving on from Lajoie,” one fan said.
Some fans were brutally honest about the situation, drawing evidence from visible race results. Somebody shunned Dickerson’s hesitant approach: “All he had to say was “have you seen him on the track?” We don’t need an explanation. The dude is not that good. He’s not the worst driver but he’s certainly not good.” Another fan empathized with the co-owner’s concerns, albeit validating his decision. “It’s cool that he cares. But, it was absolutely the right call!”
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Then others compared Corey LaJoie’s miserable runs with his teammates, both rookies. Zane Smith did not get off to a great start but found his pace later. Then Carson Hocevar overtook LaJoie in points. So one fan did not shed a tear for LaJoie’s exit. “Still not as agonizing as watching LaJoie falter behind two rookies in the same equipment half the time.” Another fan chimed in: “Lajoie hasn’t really improved or changed over all these years and immediately got out ran by a rookie teammate, that’s enough to get the boot.”
Evidently, fans fully support Corey LaJoie bidding farewell to the Cup Series. Let us wait and see if the driver can turn around his poor streak in the last segment of the season.