This weekend, Kansas City will host an exciting spectacle as Corey LaJoie and Justin Haley swap seats and teams at the Hollywood Casino 400. Presented by ESPN BET. Haley moves into the #7 Spire car, while LaJoie takes over the #51 at Rick Ware Racing. Though Haley is set for the #7 next season, LaJoie must prove himself to secure a full-time ride in 2025.

Just a week ago, this rare mid-season trade raised questions about its benefits. As the season wraps up in Phoenix, we’ll begin to see the impact of this move. While LaJoie’s sponsorship support seems to secure his immediate future, the lingering question remains: are these partnerships truly advantageous in the long run? The upcoming races will reveal the answers.

Long-time sponsors join Corey LaJoie at Rick Ware Racing

Rick Ware Racing’s recent social media update on the paint schemes for LaJoie and Kaz Grala’s cars in Kansas reveals an intriguing detail. While Children’s Mercy Hospital remains the primary sponsor of the #51, LaJoie will also feature Schluter Systems—his long-time supporter—alongside NEGU and Celsius, who first partnered with the #7 car last year.

It appears that these brands have shifted their allegiance from Spire Motorsports to Rick Ware Racing along with LaJoie. This development significantly boosts LaJoie’s prospects for next year, as the 32-year-old now has a strong support network backing him for a full-time opportunity. Just last week, he mentioned the “sponsors passing through” to his #51 car on Stacking Pennies, possibly requiring some legal assistance. These recent changes indicate that some of his most notable sponsors are committed to supporting him through the remainder of the season.

Now, Corey LaJoie is not a fan-favorite driver. His stint in the Spire #7 in his third year with the race team, has fallen short of expectations, with only three top-10 finishes this season. Justin Haley, now driving the #7 Gainbridge Camaro ZL1, has also struggled, and has managed two top-10s in the last 29 races. Both these drivers, coming off dry spells, have opportunities to start anew on a clean slate. But as for LaJoie’s sponsors? They are making plenty of negative headlines in the NASCAR community.

“Least popular driver” to prove the haters wrong?

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When Rick Ware Racing’s paint scheme announcement made the rounds of the NASCAR Subreddit, emotions fell through the floor, particularly because the news involved a certain Corey LaJoie. Sure, we have a Most Popular Driver prize, and Chase Elliott’s got a hold of that title for now. But if the sport were awarded a ‘Least Popular Driver’ prize, it would probably go to the North Carolina native this year, and that is not an understatement. This could adversely affect the marketing appeal of all his financial backers. And comments from the Reddit threat would reveal the bigger picture.

“I thought Schluter was the personal sponsor that kept his career alive when all his previous teams died,” fired one member of the NASCAR nation. Indeed, a market-leading manufacturer of tile installation products, Schluter Systems has been with LaJoie since his first full-time season at BK Racing. They’ve overseen his advances at teams like Tri-Star Motorsports, Go Fas Racing, Spire, and now Rick Ware Racing.

Someone else rhetorically questioned this comment: “Wait, you guys thought Corey Lajoe got his rides off his talent and not his sponsors?” But ultimately, it’s a perfect blend of both that helps land any driver a full-time Cup Series contract.

Amidst the scathing discussions, one sensible fan informed the grandstands, “These are longterm sponsors of Corey. They were attached to him not Spire.”

Besides, “It’s not like Corey had zero personal sponsorship. Just not a whole lot comparatively,” opined another fan, who represented a clear minority that did not wish to roast LaJoie. LaJoie’s deals with Celsius and NEGU are proof of that statement. Their comment received a reply from “an Erik Jones fan,” who hilariously suggested, “that IS a whole lot of personal sponsorship comparatively. Sigh..”

But on a closing note, another NASCAR fanatic laid out the majority’s sentiments toward the issue. Their comment reads, “A new number and the same amount of brain cells to crash with.” Quite distasteful, no doubt, but if this does not light a fire in Corey LaJoie’s heart, very few things can. So, do you think Corey LaJoie can reach the standards expected of him in the Cup Series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.