Corey LaJoie won’t be a part of the major overhaul and new changes within the Spire Motorsports team. The driver of the No. 7 Chevy announced that he won’t continue his run in the Cup Series with Spire after the end of 2024. LaJoie was touted as the star that would lead the team to glory and progress when he was announced in 2021. But, after a mediocre display, it looks like the team has finally made the tough call.

He would’ve been able to overturn his fortunes by pairing up with Rodney Childers next season. But with this development, he will now join the hunt for a new ride before the start of the 2025 season.

Corey LaJoie won’t be a part of the new changes at Spire

With the imminent arrival of Michael McDowell and Rodney Childers next season, Spire Motorsports is looking to turn a corner for good. They banked on the prospect of LaJoie leading the charge for the team as the senior driver, but it hasn’t faired well so far for them. In his fourth year with the team, LaJoie has four top 5 and six top 10 finishes. With the 2024 season following the trend of mid-pack results, it seems like the team felt the need for a change.

“I won’t be driving the 7 car next year. I take a lot of satisfaction from having an integral part of building Spire into a respectable team on the grid, but unfortunately the future won’t involve me. We will finish the remainder of 2024 strong, continuing to deliver for my partners, my guys who work hard to build good cars, family, fans & friends who have supported me since day one in the Cup Series.” LaJoie stated via Athletic.

The 2024 season was seen as a pivotal moment for the driver. With the pairing of two rookie drivers, Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith, he was seen as the senior driver to lead the charge for Spire this season. A P4 finish at the Daytona 500 was a good start, but the results that followed after that were just outright mediocre. He currently sits 24th in the points standings, with four races to go in the regular season. And going by his recent run, it’s a long shot to see him miraculously get into victory lane in the remaining races.

This announcement means there will be more drama in the ongoing silly season. A lot of drivers have shuffled into new teams already, but the question remains, who will replace Corey LaJoie in the No. 7 car?

Spire Motorsports on a hunt for a new driver

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It is important to note that the #7 team is a flagship program for Spire. They have onboarded Gainsbridge as their primary sponsor for the car, and they will be further bolstered by Rodney Childers’s arrival in 2025. These moves show just how invested Spire is in making this team competitive. Although they have sorted out the crew chief role for the team, with LaJoie’s departure, a new driver’s entry is imminent.

Unfortunately, Spire missed out on the opportunity to sign a good prospect from the defunct Stewart Haas Racing. Only Ryan Preece is the remaining option, which isn’t the right fit for the team at the moment. However, Daniel Suarez from Trackhouse Racing could turn out to be their new driver for the No. 7 car.

Suarez is in his contract year, and it’s fair to say that despite a win, his performance this season has been far from convincing. Trackhouse is expected to find a seat for their young driver Zane Smith, who is at Spire on loan. Also, Shane van Gisbergen is eyeing to move up in the Cup Series, it might see Suarez make way for the Kiwi driver and join Spire.

This will be a win-win for both parties; Spire will get a seasoned driver, and Trackhouse will be able to accommodate their driver lineup. For the time being, this is just an educated guess, as a lot could happen in this silly season.