Corey LaJoie had every week to grapple with the information of his launch from Spire Motorsports on the finish of this season, and he’s at peace with the state of affairs.
LaJoie obtained forward of any group announcement when he issued a press release to the media on Thursday, July 25 confirming that he is not going to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet subsequent season. It was three days after the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and earlier than the primary off-weekend of the season. NASCAR Cup Sequence groups have been preparing for a two-week break for the Olympics, which LaJoie, who has now spoken additional on the state of affairs for the primary time on his Stacking Pennies podcast, mentioned he was additionally wanting ahead to together with his household.
“I obtained fired on Wednesday,” LaJoie mentioned. “They didn’t actually give me an entire lot of causes, however I don’t wish to get an excessive amount of into it as a result of then we have been capable of unplug, take the RV on a visit Friday to Monday and I had some realizations. I’ve by no means discovered myself on this place with the sweat fairness that went into the group and all of the issues to get thus far, however in every single place that I’ve been has at all times been one-year offers. So, this place I discover myself in at present isn’t uncomfortable. It’s not someplace I’ve by no means been earlier than.”
LaJoie mentioned that the choice didn’t catch him off guard as a result of he understands that when the efficiency doesn’t match the group’s expectations, “you’ll get shuffled out.” LaJoie has pushed for Spire Motorsports since 2021 and has six top-10 finishes, together with one earlier this yr. He’s twenty eighth within the championship standings.
“You bought via all of the feelings: mad, unhappy,” LaJoie continued. “It’s pure human tendency to enter the sufferer ‘woe-is-me’ mindset, however I feel the place I’m at at present, every week eliminated, is that I’m tremendous appreciative. I’m tremendous appreciative of Jeff [Dickerson] and TJ [Puchyr] from Spire for giving me the chance, for believing in me from the bounce after we have been attempting to whiteboard this factor, and what we’ve grown it to has been fairly cool. I do hate that we weren’t capable of see it via and weren’t capable of modify our No.7 group and switch the fitting knobs to get the efficiency the place we would have liked to. And likewise, I’ve made too many errors behind the wheel this yr; there’s a number of that took us out of competition for some good outcomes. However it’s onward and upward.
“It’s by no means been simple. My complete NASCAR profession has not (gone) how I believed it was going to go. So why would I count on something totally different? Each single plan that I believed I used to be going to make it went in a different way, and the factor that I’ve been form of clinging onto the final week or so it’s simply that Proverbs 16:9. It’s been pinned to my X profile for nearly 10 years now.”
Spire Motorsports continues to make strikes to take extra steps ahead within the Cup Sequence. Michael McDowell is becoming a member of the group subsequent season in its third automobile, and Rodney Childers would be the crew chief of the No. 7. The announcement of the Childers signing was on July 9, and LaJoie was talked about within the information launch as the motive force. On the podcast, LaJoie mentioned he was excited for a change of surroundings in working with Childers.
“I don’t know what the subsequent step is,” LaJoie mentioned. “It’s been a singular state of affairs with all of the variables which are in play, however nonetheless, I’m at peace with it. I’m enthusiastic about what the subsequent chapter holds, and I’m fairly motivated to nonetheless be the primary driver who places a win banner on the wall at Spire – an actual one. They’ve a trophy, however that wasn’t actually an actual group again within the day (when Justin Haley gained a rain-shortened race at Daytona in 2019).
“So, [it’s] an actual group now; nonetheless wish to be the primary one to place a trophy within the trophy case on the Cup facet there and proceed to complete this factor robust the final 14 races.”
LaJoie mentioned he has no regrets about his time with Spire Motorsports.
“I can lay my head down at evening realizing I did every little thing I presumably may to construct Spire with the issues that I had,” he mentioned. “May I’ve been extra assertive in sure conferences and round sure individuals? Most likely so. May I’ve made much less errors behind the wheel in a pair totally different cases and get us some higher finishes every so often? Positive. However that’s simply the way it goes and there’s no sense of actually getting hung up on it.
“I’m excited to get the chance to complete the yr with my guys on the No.7 and provides ourselves an opportunity to win a race. There’s nothing I’d love greater than to have the ability to get a win for these guys for the quantity that they’ve poured into me, believed in me and likewise these guys have risked every little thing financially to get their group to that spot. So, I don’t fault them for making modifications they really feel like is the most effective for his or her enterprise going ahead, and I want them the perfect, I actually do.
“I’ll be advantageous. I’ve obtained some investments going, I’ve obtained some cash within the financial institution, and if I’ve obtained to teach T-Ball, I’ll coach T-Ball. If I’ve obtained to race on Sundays and maintain making a residing for me and my household and maintain exhibiting up with individuals who have my again and wish to go into battle with me each week, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
