When you think about Corey LaJoie, you’re reminded of a driver who had all the makings of a solid NASCAR veteran. His career, built on grit and family legacy, saw flashes of brilliance but never quite reached its full potential. Now, as we step into 2025, LaJoie’s career hangs in a precarious balance, with no confirmed ride for the upcoming season.

The once-promising Spire Motorsports driver has seen his fortunes dwindle, and some are tracing the roots of his decline to a gamble made by none other than Rick Hendrick. But how did LaJoie’s brief stint as Chase Elliott’s replacement—a career-defining opportunity—lead to his downfall? NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp recently broke it down in a video.

The beginning of the end: Eric Estepp weighs in

“The story is, Corey LaJoie—where did it all go wrong?” asked Estepp in his recent video. It’s a question worth pondering, especially since LaJoie seemed to be on the rise just two years ago. In 2023, Rick Hendrick made the bold choice to call up LaJoie to sub for Chase Elliott after Elliott’s injury. It was the break LaJoie had been waiting for—a shot with Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR’s elite teams. But as LaJoie later described, the experience was like “drinking from a fire hose.”

Flooded with new information and adapting to one of the most competitive rides in the sport, LaJoie’s debut at Gateway was a mixed bag. He finished 21st—not stellar, but not a disaster either. Yet, as Estepp pointed out, the real story wasn’t just about LaJoie’s performance in Elliott’s car.

On the same day, Carson Hocevar, a young and relatively unproven talent, stepped into LaJoie’s Spire Motorsports ride. While LaJoie struggled to adapt to Hendrick’s powerhouse machine, Hocevar turned heads by running LaJoie’s car into the top 15. Although Hocevar eventually overcooked it, blowing up the brakes and earning a DNF, the contrast was stark. A rookie had shown more raw speed than LaJoie, who was in far superior equipment.

Estepp summed it up bluntly: “That might’ve been the beginning of the end—not because of Hendrick Motorsports per se, but because it gave everyone a comparison.” Fast-forward to 2024, and Spire Motorsports brought Hocevar on board full-time as LaJoie’s teammate. What followed was a season that couldn’t have gone worse for the veteran.

As Estepp pointed out, “There really was no comparison.” While Hocevar, still a rookie, posted an average finish of 18.3 with six top-10s, LaJoie lagged with an average finish of 23rd and only three top-10s. Frustration mounted for LaJoie, who seemed to be pushing harder than ever—but not in a good way. His aggressive style led to incidents, including a public spat with Kyle Busch and a reputation for “inventing new ways to crash.”

Denny Hamlin didn’t mince words when asked about LaJoie’s 2024 season: “Corey LaJoie’s just outta control, man. He is his own worst enemy.” Meanwhile, Spire Motorsports was under pressure to deliver results. With a significant investment from Gamebridge, the team needed immediate success. The decision to part ways with LaJoie at the end of 2024 was as much about performance as it was about optics.

“Gamebridge demands results,” Chase explained. “They expect to contend sooner rather than later. That’s why we went out and signed Michael McDowell, and Justin Haley, and paired them up with Rodney Childers.” In the end, LaJoie was left without a seat, while Spire moved on to greener pastures.

A career at a crossroads

Trending

1

Tony Stewart & Leah Pruett Invest $2.25 Million in a Life-Changing Cause

2

Fed Up Chase Elliott Launches Sarcastic 5-Word Jab at NASCAR’s Shenanigans

3

Shell-Shocked Dale Earnhardt Jr Explores 50-Year Old Unsolved Mysteries of His Dad’s Daytona Legacy

4

Kyle Busch’s Future in Doubt as Richard Childress & Rick Hendrick Could Lose Drivers

5

Kyle Busch’s Hilarious Dig at Wife Samantha Leaves NASCAR Fans in Stitches

LaJoie’s current predicament is a far cry from the legacy of his family name. His grandfather, Don LaJoie, is a New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer, and his father, Randy, won back-to-back Busch Series titles in the ’90s. Corey, however, has struggled to find similar success at NASCAR’s top levels.

Despite a solid start with Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he helped build the team’s foundation, the results never materialized. His best career finishes—a trio of fourth-place runs—were scattered across superspeedways. By 2024, even those flashes of brilliance had dried up. To make matters worse, LaJoie’s mid-season switch to Rick Ware Racing didn’t provide the career revival he needed. While he managed a couple of respectable finishes—15th at Kansas and 14th at Las Vegas—the rest of his outings were marred by penalties and DNFs.

Looking ahead, the future remains uncertain for the 34-year-old driver. Rumors suggest he could stay with Rick Ware Racing in 2025, helping the team grow in its technical alliance with RFK Racing. But even that is far from guaranteed. In hindsight, Rick Hendrick’s gamble on LaJoie may have been a turning point. It showcased the unforgiving nature of the sport, where one bad day can define a career. For LaJoie, the opportunity to step into Chase Elliott’s ride was both a blessing and a curse.

As Estepp put it: “I still feel like LaJoie’s judged unfairly for that performance.” Perhaps that’s true, but in the world of NASCAR, perception is often reality. And for Corey LaJoie, the perception is that his chance at the big leagues didn’t go as planned. Now, as the 2025 season looms, LaJoie faces an uphill battle to reclaim his place in the sport. Whether he can rewrite the narrative or fade into obscurity remains to be seen.