The plan Corey LaJoie had was to go to Spire Motorsports, a relatively new NASCAR Cup Series team seeking to establish itself, help it develop into a competitive program while also showcasing himself for future opportunities with a bigger organization, then eventually get that opportunity and fulfill his dream of being a winning driver at NASCAR’s premier level.
It was a sound plan. One that many drivers have implemented as they work to climb up the slippery NASCAR ladder without assurances they’ll ever come close to reaching the top. Many lose their grip and tumble.
Even though it certainly hasn’t been easy, and there were times when it looked like he may slide backwards, LaJoie has not fallen. He has found success in what is now three years with a Spire team that has modest means and doesn’t have anywhere close to the number of employees powerhouse organizations like Hendrick Motorsports or Team Penske possess. This season, LaJoie has an average finish (21.2) that is three positions better than his previous best (24.3), and before a recent skid, he was in contention for a playoff wild-card spot.
Modest accomplishment for some, but with this team, it is noteworthy. And it’s why, when Silly Season began to ramp up, LaJoie became a candidate for one of the potential openings.
A team looking for a driver could do a whole lot worse than hiring LaJoie, who with over 200 career Cup starts could step in and not require an acclimation period. And there were teams that were interested in hiring him.
But instead of heading to greener pastures, LaJoie will be staying where he’s at, signing a multi-year extension to continue as driver of the No. 7 Spire Chevrolet. News of the deal, which the team made official Wednesday, was first reported by The Athletic.
I’m not leaving. @SpireMotorsport pic.twitter.com/GfzPtq6XOt
— Corey LaJoie (@CoreyLaJoie) August 2, 2023
To remain at Spire rather than go elsewhere may seem like a head-scratching decision at first blush. But looking at the current free agency landscape, there isn’t necessarily an opportunity that represents a surefire upgrade over LaJoie’s present situation.
Hang on a second, you might be saying. Stewart-Haas Racing needed someone to replace Kevin Harvick and may soon need to replace Aric Almirola, who’s likely to join Harvick in retirement. Yes, this is true. Except LaJoie’s average finish is better than Almirola and better than SHR teammate Ryan Preece, both of whom are at 21.6. And LaJoie is only one spot lower than SHR’s fourth driver, Chase Briscoe (20.0).
In recent years, Harvick’s exceptional performance has looked all the more impressive considering what his SHR teammates have been able to do. And once he rides off into the sunset, there are zero guarantees SHR won’t regress even more from its halcyon days when it regularly vied against Hendrick, Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing for the claim as NASCAR’s best organization.
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Plus, any driver joining SHR faces outsized expectations that they should excel because, well, this is SHR, after all, even though that performance level is based more on how SHR used to do rather than its present state. A driver could go there and run well, though that could equate to what Almirola, Briscoe and Preece are doing now, and yet to the outside world would feel like they’re underachieving. With perception sometimes becoming reality, this could stunt a driver’s career.
Beyond SHR, who knows what rides are going to be open for next year. Hendrick, Penske, Richard Childress Racing and Trackhouse Racing don’t have any openings, and it’s up in the air whether JGR will.
Knowing this, it’s understandable why LaJoie made the prudent decision to return to Spire. If the team can continue to make strides, it allows LaJoie to over-deliver on the track, in a spot where finishing in the top 20 is a notable achievement. That would only increase his stock when it’s time to negotiate his next contract.
Because while LaJoie inked a multi-year extension with Spire now, it doesn’t commit him to the team forever. His goal of one day signing with an A-level team isn’t completely extinguished, it’s only on hold at the moment.
And LaJoie can win in his present environment, even if Spire becoming a powerhouse is a longshot. Because it is conceivable that Spire could progress to become a mid-level team comparable to the likes of Richard Petty Motorsports (now Legacy Motor Club), Front Row Motorsports, JTG Daugherty Racing and Kaulig Racing — all teams that have won races over the past three years and, in some instances, had drivers qualify for the playoffs.
It’s an attainable goal for Spire; LaJoie smartly recognized this. And steps to make this a reality are already in progress.
Spire recently entered into a partnership with Gainbridge, a company whose CEO and president, Dan Towriss, has close ties with IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti and is an investor in Andretti Autosport. Michael Andretti has long had eyes on NASCAR team ownership, and Gainbridge linking up with Spire is viewed by many within the industry as the first step toward Andretti eventually checking this box. Andretti is also closely aligned with General Motors, which is supporting his efforts to secure a Formula One franchise, an association that perhaps will lead to Spire receiving greater backing from Chevrolet.
Should Andretti/Gainbridge take on a larger role within Spire, that would surely bring additional capital to grow Spire into a team that can provide LaJoie with the kind of equipment to contend for race wins and playoff berths on the regular.
All this won’t happen overnight, but it’s on the table over the next few years — though there aren’t any guarantees that all this comes to fruition.
But should Spire continue to grow, the opportunity is right there for LaJoie, with contract extension now in hand, to capitalize on the opportunity before him.
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(Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
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