“This is a performance-based business, and it just hasn’t been there for several reasons,” said a press release in July last year, drawing the curtain on a driver’s four season long run with them. After all, three Top 10s, one Top 5, and no wins in a season doesn’t exactly scream reliability, does it? But that’s the exact reality Corey LaJoie has had to face. And if you listen to sources, things might be more grim than they look. But before we get to that…

With Zane Smith being officially announced to drive the third FRM car for 2025, there is only one seat vacant for any potential drivers to secure their ride in the Cup car. And that ride is the No. 51 Ford Mustang at Rick Ware Racing. Corey LaJoie drove the car for the last seven races of the 2024 campaign in a surprising mid-season swap.

Justin Haley moved to the No. 7 team at Spire Motorsports, whereas LaJoie got an opportunity to prove his worth in a new environment. Haley secured a multi-year deal with Spire and will lead the flagship team program moving forward, but Corey LaJoie had no such assurances from Rick Ware Racing. It was going to be a tough task even for an experienced driver like LaJoie to retain a seat for 2025. And Smith’s confirmation has only made things sketchy for the 33-year-old driver.

With Riley Herbst taking up the third entry at 23XI Racing and Smith returning to FRM, LaJoie’s only hope for Cup racing is through Rick Ware. But, given that Rick Ware’s son Cody is also in contention for the seat, the odds are certainly stacked up against the former Spire Motorsports driver.

Adding to his woes is the prediction made by FOX reporter Bob Pockrass, who answered a query by a race fan on X. “I thought Corey had been confirmed for the 51???” asked the fan, to which Pockrass replied, “Corey LaJoie is still working on his 2025 plans but not expected to be full time in the RWR No. 51 in 2025. Cody Ware appears to be the likely driver of that car.”

It’s not that Corey LaJoie hasn’t had an opportunity to prove his worth. He had three full-time runs ahead of the 2024 season, where he showed shades of brilliance but didn’t truly live up to his potential. Streaks of top 20 finishes backed by one or two huge results—this is how LaJoie’s run has been in the No. 7 car. This is the flagship team for Spire, and they wanted Lajoie to lead the charge as a leader, which he wasn’t able to do.

The 2024 season was a big falloff for the driver as he couldn’t even scrape out the top 20 runs. Rather, he was involved in crashes and wrecks. And then there was the Kyle Busch debacle at Pocono that put another blotch on his career. However, the problem is much bigger for LaJoie now, since Spire has become a satellite team for Hendrick Motorsports, and they are certainly building a good program to become a competitive team.

There’s a reason they onboarded veteran driver Michael McDowell from FRM and are nurturing rookie Carson Hocevar. In the grand scheme of things, LaJoie looked like a misfit at Spire, and thus he was let go. Perhaps LaJoie himself knew that his luck would eventually run out. “I do hate that we weren’t able to see it through; we weren’t able to kind of adjust the [No.] 7 team and kind of turn the right knobs to get performance where we needed it.”

Corey LaJoie is still working on his 2025 plans but not expected to be full time in the RWR No. 51 in 2025. Cody Ware appears to be the likely driver of that car. https://t.co/mm7t3eOggI

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 2, 2025

It makes you wonder what potential options LaJoie is exploring and if there are any hopes for him to continue at the Cup level.

What’s next for LaJoie?

It has to be noted that Rick Ware Racing has leased out one of their charters to RFK Racing. So they have only one ride for the 2025 season. Given that they haven’t made an announcement yet, it could suggest that they are thinking about how to go about their planning. Do they give out the ride to Cody, who ran a partial run this season and registered a P4 finish in the fall Daytona race? Or, take a shot at LaJoie?

There is a potential of Cody Ware running full-time in the #51 car and Corey LaJoie being handed a limited race with open entry. But again, that would depend on the sponsorship dynamics and how the driver is able to fund his car for the number of races. We have seen drivers like Cole Custer and A.J. Allmendinger take a step down to the Xfinity Series and return back to the Cup level. So that’s another possibility LaJoie could look into.

He hasn’t given up hope just yet and is optimistic about his next challenge. “I don’t know what the next step is. It’s been a unique situation with all the variables that are in play, but nonetheless, I am at peace with it. I’m excited about what the next chapter holds.” These were his words after leaving the team to join RWR. Where do you think Corey LaJoie will land? Will it be in the Cup Series or Xfinity? Do share your thoughts in the comments section.