Carrying the weight of his last name, Corey LaJoie has spent over a decade trying to carve out his place in NASCAR. However, after 300 starts across NASCAR’s three national series, he remains winless—struggling to justify his continued presence in the sport. Despite flashes of promise, the son of two-time Xfinity Series Champion Randy Lajoie has repeatedly failed to convert opportunities into results, and the 2025 season is already shaping up to be another frustrating chapter.

At the Ambetter Health 400, LaJoie once again found himself at the center of disappointment. Starting from 35th, he was fighting an uphill battle from the start. As he clawed his way through the pack, any hopes of proving his worth were crushed when a multi-car wreck took him out in Stage 2. It was yet another race where LaJoie found himself caught in trouble—raising more questions about his ability to compete at NASCAR’s highest level.

Another race, another excuse?

Corey LaJoie was pushing hard at Atlanta Motor Speedway, trying to claw his way up from a disappointing 35th-place starting position. He spent much of the race battling in the chaotic mid-pack, but as Stage 2 neared its end, disaster struck. A multi-car wreck involving Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski unfolded on Lap 150, leaving LaJoie with a wrecked car and another frustrating DNF. While Elliott managed to continue, LaJoie’s No. 01 Ford suffered race-ending damage, forcing him to settle for a 38th-place finish. His worst result of the season so far.

After the crash, LaJoie pointed to the challenges of racing in the middle of the pack. “In the hornet’s nest there, from like 14th to 25th, man, you are racing your a– off,” he said. He admitted that he miscalculated his lane choice and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I was trying to favor down, and next thing I know, I was right rear turned into the fence.” While he acknowledged his own mistake, the bigger issue remains, i.e., his inability to avoid trouble and deliver results when it matters most.

This isn’t the first time Corey LaJoie has left a race with a disappointing finish and a long list of what-ifs. The 2025 season opener at Daytona also ended in heartbreak, as a last-lap wreck in Turn 3 ruined his chances of a respectable finish. Instead, he walked away with 22nd place. “It’s hard to run good enough and get in the Cup Series and continue to prove that you belong and after two weeks people forget,” said Lajoie about qualifying for the Daytona 500 as an open entry but having his failures at Daytona and Atlanta overshadow his hard work.

This is far from what he needed to start the season strong. Two races in, and LaJoie has already racked up one DNF and zero top-20 finishes. The question is, how much longer can he afford to keep blaming circumstances?

At some point, excuses won’t cut it. While every driver faces bad luck, the best find ways to rise above it. In LaJoie’s case, the trend is clear—he’s struggling to put himself in a position to succeed. Whether it’s qualifying poorly, getting caught in the wrong battles, or making costly decisions in key moments, the results aren’t improving. As other mid-pack drivers like Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell capitalize on opportunities, LaJoie remains stuck in a cycle of inconsistency.

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Can Corey LaJoie turn his luck around later this season?

After two frustrating races to start the 2025 season, Corey LaJoie now sets his sights on his next points-paying race. If he turns in another mediocre result, it will only reinforce the growing doubts surrounding his future. Already running a part-time schedule for Rick Ware Racing with a broadcasting gig at Prime Video on the side, Lajoie will need to make the most of his races to get back his full-time seat.

One of LaJoie’s biggest changes that can help him overcome his poor race results is his qualification. His inability to be in the front of the starting grid has consistently forced him to fight through the pack. At Daytona, he started in 35th, and at Atlanta, he was again buried in 35th. Both times the position left him vulnerable to late-race chaos. If he wants to turn things around, he needs to put himself in a better starting position. The track’s technical layout rewards drivers who can stay clean and execute strategy.

“I can compete for top 10s and hopefully win us one day,” LaJoie insists. He remains determined to secure that elusive Cup Series victory. But after back-to-back wrecks, desperation is creeping in. He needs a strong result. Not just for points, but to silence the growing doubts about his ability to deliver. Can he shake off the bad luck and finally put together a solid run next time? Or will another underwhelming finish add to his already difficult start to the 2025 season?