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Corey LaJoie’s Nightmare Season: The Stunning Downfall, Betrayal, and Redemption of NASCAR’s Forgotten Star – “I Am Depressed”

Virgilio Machado by Virgilio Machado
January 28, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Corey LaJoie’s Nightmare Season: The Stunning Downfall, Betrayal, and Redemption of NASCAR’s Forgotten Star – “I Am Depressed”

Aug 10, 2024; Richmond, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie (7) during practice and qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Corey LaJoie entered 2025 with high hopes and an engine roaring for success. His P4 finish at the Daytona 500 hinted at a career breakthrough, and a solid top-20 at Atlanta Speedway seemed to confirm it. But NASCAR’s unforgiving grind showed no mercy. Over the next eight Cup Series races, LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevy barely cracked relevance, finishing 21st or worse. What started as a comeback story turned into a swirling drama of personal struggles, professional doubts, and an emotional bombshell that few saw coming.

A season derailed by tragedy

For LaJoie, 2024 wasn’t just a bad year; it was a deeply personal trial played out on the world stage. During a revealing moment on the Stacking Pennies podcast, the 33-year-old opened up about the emotional spiral that consumed him after his close friend’s life was changed forever in a horrifying accident. The trauma of seeing his confidant paralyzed weighed heavily on LaJoie, who candidly admitted he went down the “What is life?” rabbit hole.

“Everybody watched on live television how awful my year was, right?” LaJoie confessed. “My really close friend got in an accident, got paralyzed, and I started questioning everything. That guy has better perspective on life than I do, even after all he’s been through.”

This mental struggle wasn’t happening in isolation. It was magnified under NASCAR’s unrelenting spotlight, where fans, pundits, and teams scrutinized every misstep. LaJoie sought solace by distancing himself from social media, but the damage to his focus—and his career—was already underway.

Spire Motorsports: Cutting ties with their ‘leader’

Spire Motorsports had pegged LaJoie as the driver to lead their Cup Series ambitions. He had three full-time seasons under his belt and even earned a pinch-hit role at Hendrick Motorsports in 2023, subbing for Chase Elliott. But Spire’s faith in LaJoie crumbled during 2024, and by mid-season, they made a cold and calculated decision to move on.

In a shocking July swap deal, LaJoie was sent to Rick Ware Racing, paving the way for Justin Haley to take over Spire’s flagship No. 7. The decision left LaJoie stunned.

“You know that’s all the sh-t you hear,” he recalled, “and I was like, man, close the doors that need to be closed and open the doors that need to be open. Then you sit down, and they tell you you’re going in a different direction. I’m like, dang, that’s not the door I wanted shut.”

A fight for relevance—and an unexpected twist

Thrown into an entirely new environment with Rick Ware Racing, LaJoie showed flashes of resilience in the No. 51 car. But the writing was on the wall. Cody Ware, the team owner’s son, was next in line, and speculation ran rampant that LaJoie would soon be without a full-time ride.

The twist? It was LaJoie himself who advocated for Cody Ware to take over. While many assumed the driver was ousted against his will, LaJoie made the surprising move to support the younger Ware’s promotion—a gesture that underscored his evolving perspective on life and racing.

What’s next for LaJoie?

With his future uncertain, LaJoie’s story is far from over. The once-hopeful leader of Spire Motorsports now faces a crossroads. Will he find redemption on a smaller stage, or will another team bet on his talent? What’s certain is that LaJoie’s journey, marked by heartbreak and resilience, has made him a symbol of the human side of NASCAR’s relentless world.

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