An announcement on behalf of Rick Ware Racing on Monday, Jan. 27, confirmed that veteran driver Corey LaJoie will run part-time in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. LaJoie debuted in the Nationwide Series in 2012 with Tommy Baldwin Racing and ran in ARCA Menards. He’s also run in the Craftsman Truck and the Xfinity Series. He pulled nine wins in the ARCA Menards Series East and West, 11 Cup Top Tens, 4 Cup top-fives, 2 Xfinity Top Tens, and a single Craftsman Top Ten. LaJoie is currently ranked at #33 with zero wins but has high hopes as he prepares to run in the upcoming Daytona 500. Can he prosper and finally add a win to his record?
What’s Different About Corey LaJoie’s 2025 Run
Corey LaJoie plans to run part-time in the cup series in 2025, but there’s skepticism regarding this decision. LaJoie finished out the 2024 season after Rick Ware decided to swap out Justin Haley in the No. 51. Therefore, it was natural to speculate that he would secure a full-time seat with RWR in 2025. Even so, the 33-year-old is making the most of it and will add race analyst to his resume. He will cover five cup races hosted by Prime Video alongside journalist Danielle K. Trotta, beginning with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motorspeedway.
Capitalizing on the margin between racing and providing valuable insights will help Corey LaJoie understand racing from a new perspective. Though he’s disappointed with how things have gone, he remains optimistic. LaJoie has been candid about the move, crediting God for the wisdom to embrace the opportunity. He admits amongst his struggles, he’s been a bit out of touch with the sport. Regardless, racing will remain important, and he hopes that reporting will ignite a newfound appreciation for NASCAR.
“My entire racing life, since I was 7 years old, I’ve been blindly focused on being a competitive race-winning Cup Series driver.” ” I’ve worked and leveraged and did everything with that clear vision in mind,” Corey LaJoie said of his racing start.
“With the Amazon guys knocking on my door and I had fallen out of love with the sport a bit and became disenchanted with the sport, I was looking for ways to love it again,” he added.
Why Making it into Daytona Will Be a Challenge
Corey LaJoie has struggled over the past 14 years without a single win, except for the ARCA Menards Series. However, the former Spire Motorsports driver hopes to turn over a new leaf at Daytona this weekend with RWR. There’s just one problem. The No. 1 Mustang Darkhorse he will pilot will run as one of nine open entries. Pre-race 45 cars are vying for a spot among the top 40. 32 of these are chartered, meaning they’re guaranteed spots, but the open entries are not.
Instead, only four of the nine open entries will make it into the final four for the starting lineup. This means LaJoie will have to qualify in a better starting position than 2024’s 29th for Daytona. However, he’s up against NASCAR greats like Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr., who are also hoping to make it to the final four. Can he defy the odds and run with the greats? Considering 2024’s 4th finish at Daytona, it’s obvious his desire is stronger than ever to surpass that, so it will be an interesting weekend for LaJoie.
2025 Daytona 500- Open Entries
- Jimmie Johnson #84 (Legacy Motorclub)
- Corey LaJoie No.01 (Rick Ware Racing)
- Martin Truex Jr. #56 (Tricon Garage)
- JJ Yeley #44 (NY Racing Team)
- Anthony Alfredo #62 (Young’s Motorsports)
- Chandler Smith #66 (Garage 66)
- Justin Allgaier #40 (JR Motorsports)
- BJ McLeod #78 (BJ McLeod Motorsports)
- Hélio Castroneves #91 (Trackhouse Racing)
Final Thoughts
So far, Corey LaJoie is only scheduled for the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Feb. 16, but could this change? It’s possible with the two-month gap between the Great American Race and his analyst duties kicking off in May. LaJoie mentioned that staying winless made him feel disconnected from NASCAR over time, but he’s hoping his new job as a race analyst will change that. Perhaps that’s a hint that fans will see him behind the wheel outside of this weekend.
