Spire Motorsports is a team in transition. Having moved on from Corey LaJoie, their longest and most experienced Cup Series driver, Jeff Dickerson’s team has signed crew chief Rodney Childers and former Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell for the 2025 season. In a performance-based business, there is very little room for sentimentality, and while LaJoie has helped build and grow the team, the reality is that some drivers are better at developing a program, instead of thriving in it.

As things stand, LaJoie’s performances have not matched Spire Motorsports’ ambitions, and when you combine it with a clear regression from his results in 2024, it’s unsurprising that the 32-year-old was let go. In a conversation about his departure, a reputed NASCAR insider said frustration was building up within Spire Motorsports at LaJoie performances, a key factor that led to his dismissal.

Corey LaJoie fell short of Spire Motorsports’ expectations

Corey LaJoie has been through an emotional roller coaster since his departure from Spire Motorsports became public. Why wouldn’t he be? He has been a focal point for the team through its transition years, helping a small team with big ambitions secure four top-5s and six top-10s in over 129 Cup Series. He finished in a career-high 25th place in the driver standings in the 2023 season, a feat he is struggling to replicate, if not improve on, in the ongoing season. This has meant that he has been outperformed by Cup Series rookie and teammate Carson Hocevar, who is four places ahead in the driver standings as things stand.

Speaking about his departure from Spire Motorsports on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi said, “Certainly a bit of a shock move, right? You could hear rumblings about this, there were some frustrations within the team about the expectations this year and where they were at, they didn’t feel like they were making progress. Again, frustrations with the team and to see Corey get the news that he wasn’t going to be returning to Spire Motorsports next year was certainly a surprise in that sense. But again, when you step back from a 30,000-foot perspective, maybe not.”

Corey LaJoie’s lack of progress in the ongoing Cup Series season has been well-documented. If statistics are to be believed, he has a better average position this year (23.3), compared to last season (24.8), indicating that his No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro isn’t struggling with performance.

However, LaJoie’s average finish after 22 races is 22.7, which is not only worse than his average last year (20.8) but significantly behind Carson Hocevar (19.4) as well. What does this mean? It means that while LaJoie has the equipment to get the expected results, his on-track performances haven’t reflected the same.

With 258 Cup Series starts, Corey LaJoie has the experience to secure another Cup Series seat for the 2025 season. Perhaps a team like Rick Ware Racing, who are trying to build for the future, might be a good move for the North Carolina native. Or, LaJoie can always follow Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s suggestion and make his way into the Truck or Xfinity Series to rediscover his love for racing and get some wins under his belt.

As for Spire Motorsports, a candidate has emerged who could replace Corey LaJoie in the No. 7 Chevy, a claim that has been backed by the Athletic journalist Jordan Bianchi.

Jordan Bianchi names Rick Ware driver as possible LaJoie replacement

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Speculation has been rife about Corey LaJoie’s replacement, ever since his departure from Spire Motorsports became public. Several drivers have been linked to the No. 7 seat, including the likes of Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, Sam Mayer, and Ryan Preece. However, a new candidate has emerged, who could partner with crew chief Rodney Childers for the 2025 season. What’s more? It could also result in Corey LaJoie going the other way! A move that would benefit all parties, won’t you agree?

Discussing LaJoie’s replacement for Jeff Dickerson’s team, journalist Jordan Bianchi said, “The names that we’re looking at for the 7 car, one name to really keep an eye on is Justin Haley. There’s a lot of things intertwined behind the scenes that are kind of this unfolding, but I would say Justin Haley’s the leading contender over there. There’s also another driver and I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying his name right now, but he is in the cup series and that’s another that’s also someone else to keep an eye on.”

While the “other driver” would only lead to more speculation, the inclusion of Justin Haley as a leading candidate to replace Corey LaJoie isn’t surprising. The 25-year-old has raced for Spire Motorsports as a part-time Cup Series driver in the past, making 31 appearances for Jeff Dickerson’s team throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Haley has attracted interest from Hendrick Motorsports as well, who will be keeping a close eye on how the Indiana native will fare alongside Rodney Childers if the move to Spire Motorsports materializes.

What are your thoughts about Corey LaJoie’s exit from Spire Motorsports? Let us know in the comments!