While racing in NASCAR’s elite division is a dream for many, competing at the highest level is not everyone’s cup of tea. This is in fact a brutal reality for many Cup Series drivers. And one such ill-fated driver is Corey LaJoie. Despite being in the division for more than 7 years, the Spire Motorsports driver has failed to capture the throne and it looks like things are about to change.

While the 33-year-old has expressed his interest to be part of the sport’s most winningest team, Hendrick Motorsports, his highlight race piloting the #9 Chevy replacing the suspended, Chase Elliott at WWT Raceway went down in flames. Moreover, HMS’s recent lackluster ordeals also have cast a shadow, prompting Lajoie to go ahead with a multi-year deal, dropping his dream to be Rick Hendrick‘s driver and announcing a bold statement.

Corey LaJoie ends his HMS hopes as he opts to continue with Spire Motorsports

33-year-old Corey LaJoie was once vocal about being a part of NASCAR’s most winningest team. But the driver has snubbed his dream to be in Rick Hendrick’s team and instead has opted to continue with his Spire Motorsports. While the driver is currently sitting at the 27th spot with an average finish of 21.3 this season, LaJoie is still optimistic about his capabilities to deliver remaining in the team.

Speaking on NASCAR’s Stacking Pennies podcast, the driver shared his thoughts about withdrawing himself as a free agent and sticking to his previous team despite eyeing a spot in HMS. “The announcement is that I’m gonna be doing just the same I’m doing for the next several years at Spire Motorsports so I’m excited about that, really am, it wasn’t really a hard decision, to be honest,” said the driver. 

When asked about Mr. H’s influence on him from the time he was at the helm of the #9 Chevy, LaJoie got real about his scenario, saying, “The wheels were already in motion before that but it did show me how important continuity is and also having a group that really is all in, I’m excited to just keep that continuity going and there’s a lot of good stuff behind the wheels going.” 

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Despite his bleak finish at Gateway, crossing the line 21st with the #9 Chevy, the HMS boss man is still a firm believer in the #7 driver’s abilities. In fact, Rick Hendrick even sent LaJoie a token of appreciation in the form of a gift hamper. While Mr. H’s gift was highly appreciated by the driver, who shared a Facebook post and expressed his gratitude, Hendrick’s act felt like a hammer to Tony Stewart and SHR who were eyeing the #7 as a worthy replacement for the skeptical Aric Almirola.

With the driver staying back hopeful of a major turnaround, LaJoie has more than one reason to stick with Spire Motorsports, mentioning how the team is making major strides in terms of technology.

LaJoie remains in high hopes, eyeing a major turnaround with the team gaining more technology from GM

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Speaking on the podcast, the driver mentioned how the Chevrolet team is acquiring more technology from GM and bringing in more competent crew members to make the most out of each event. And Corey LaJoie is riding on high hopes, saying, “There’s a lot of good stuff behind the wheels going with you know the Cambridge guys jumped on board and there’s a lot of stuff going that’s going to allow me to hire more people and get some depth and get some more technology from GM, you know.”

Mentioning the road racing underdog, Michael McDowell of Front Row Motorsports, the driver mentioned how amped up he is, saying, “I’ve spent and will continue to spend everything I’ve got to pour into where I’m at to make it to where I feel like where it’s capable of going and where I feel like its capable of going, it’s not unfeasible for us to have a year like Ricky Stenhouse is having, right?” 

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Furthermore, LaJoie’s latest tweet just goes off to show how pumped up he is to be back on board. Recently he shared a quirky clip from the popular Hollywood movie, The Wolf of Wall Street with the driver himself in place of the lead actor as he delivers the monologue with the caption, “I’m not leaving.”