Out of all four Stewart Haas Racing drivers, Ryan Preece seemed to be on the bitter end of things without a ride for 2025. Tony Stewart has decided to step down from his ownership role, whereas Gene Haas opted to retain a charter for himself. This forced all the drivers in the team to look for new rides, and Preece looked to be the odd man out. But RFK Racing securing a deal to lease the Rick Ware Racing charter will see Preece compete in the #60 car in 2025.

Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing have finally announced they will be expanding to a three-car team for the 2025 season. It’s arguably the worst-kept secret of this silly season, as Kroger parting ways with JTG Daugherty Racing was the telltale sign that something was cooking up between the two parties.

It is indeed good news for Preece and Brad Keselowski, who are now looking forward to this new partnership. However, the same cannot be said for Corey LaJoie and his future in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Corey LaJoie’s 2024 nightmare worsens

Spire Motorsports tried its best to allow LaJoie to groom himself in the leadership role, driving the #7 entry for the team in 2024. The benefit of higher funding put the greater weight of expectations on LaJoie’s shoulders, under which he inevitably buckled. His struggles throughout the year forced the leadership group to search for an alternative. And they found that with Justin Haley and pulled off a surprising mid-season driver swap. LaJoie ran the last eight races in the #51 car with RWR, whereas Haley took the command of the #7 Spire car.

Haley certainly was the one who bagged himself a promotion by penning a long-term deal with Spire. Leading the flagship team under the guidance of Rodney Childers is indeed a big step up. Meanwhile, Corey LaJoie was trying his best to get a shot at continuing to compete at the top level in NASCAR. A hope that seems to be disappearing with RFK Racing’s move to expand to a three-car team.

Rick Ware Racing owns a permanent charter, but with this new agreement, RFK Racing is set to take over it on a lease. Moreover, with Ryan Preece confirmed as the driver for the #60 team for 2025, it puts a huge question mark on LaJoie’s future at the Cup level. This development was further confirmed by RFK Racing’s president, Steve Newmark.

“RFK president Steve Newmark confirms a lease of a charter from Rick Ware Racing for 2025 for the No. 60 car of Ryan Preece.” Bob Pockrass from Fox Sports shared this update on X. Not only Ryan Preece but the entire RFK Racing driver lineup is expected to get a big boost from this deal. Along with primary sponsors like Fastenal, Castrol, and Build Submarine, Kroger will also feature on all three race cars at RFK Racing for the 2025 season.

While Corey LaJoie hoped to extend his stint with RWR, the lease of this charter changed things for him. As confirmed at the time of the swap, LaJoie’s 7 races with RWR were only till the end of the 2024 season. His prospects of getting another year on the deal will certainly face a challenge since 2024 was one of his worst years in the sport. Although most expected the swap to RWR to bring some improvement, the #51 Chevy gained very little benefit. However, things are not bleak for LaJoie. Although he may be out of a seat for 2024 at the moment, the driver admitted there are other prospects he was looking at. He went on to say, “I have so many cool opportunities behind the wheel but also not behind the wheel to take into consideration of the next chapter of life is.”

As Corey LaJoie laments the loss of his potential RWR 2025 seat, Brad Keselowski is making big decisions in the aftermath of the season.

Brad Keselowski and Co are making all the right moves

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Sponsorship plays a key role in the functioning of a NASCAR team, now more than ever. Gone are times when sponsors lined up to be featured on the race cars, but over the years things changed drastically. Now the teams rely on not just one but multiple sponsors to fund their racing programs. Given that there’s a lot of uncertainty with the lawsuit NASCAR is facing, it makes it even tougher for teams to attract investors. But RFK Racing seems to be headed in the right direction under the leadership of Brad Keselowski.

“First, we’d like to thank Kroger and the vision of Tad and Jodi (Geschickter), without which we wouldn’t be in the position of growing with a third car in 2025 and beyond. Their commitment to us on behalf of Kroger has not only allowed us to fulfill our growth objectives in ways we’ve long desired but also to continue to push the envelope when it comes to finding the competitive edge needed to compete at the top level of NASCAR.” Newmark said this in a press release.

Ryan Preece has got an opportunity to prove his racing credentials once again for next year. Meanwhile, Corey LaJoie’s future competing at the Cup level certainly looks uncertain. And this might force his hand to make a big call with regards to his racing career.