Corey LaJoie’s motorsports career appeared shaken after Spire Motorsports replaced him in the middle of the 2024 Cup Series season. He had piloted the #7 for the team since 2021, but it seemed that he did not deliver what they expected. Although he could have moved to the Xfinity or Truck Series full-time for the 2025 season, LaJoie chose to pursue a different perspective, exploring an undiscovered side of motorsports.

After sitting on the sidelines for a year, LaJoie has found himself on a different side of racing, while not leaving the track completely behind. But what does the future hold for the 34-year-old?

Corey LaJoie reflects on battling grief after losing a full-time Cup Series seat in 2024

After a P4 finish at the Daytona 500, Corey LaJoie battled with his performance as he mostly stacked up finishes out of the top 20. This trend continued throughout the season, before he was eventually swapped with Justin Haley. LaJoie piloted for Rick Ware Racing in the remaining season.

For 2025, however, he had a different approach. Corey LaJoie competed for RWR on a limited schedule without a charter, meaning he had to qualify for every race that he participated in. While that seemed tough, he has seemingly recovered from the grief that Spire left him with.

“You know the five stages of grief. I feel like I’m in the last stage of that now,” LaJoie told The Athletic.

LaJoie also found himself collaborating with Amazon Prime as they began broadcasting the Cup Series in the 2025 season. Owing to the massive experience that he brings to the table, having raced in the series since 2014, he was picked as their analyst. A familiar face with the fans, LaJoie found himself exploring motorsports with a different perspective.

“Being on Prime helped me weather the storm,” he further revealed. “When Prime is sitting there, and they have a list as long as they want, and they called me. Then they give you the right tools to be successful at your job, and we went and had a blast. … That helped turn the ship back the right way.”

LaJoie also participated in four races throughout the 2025 Cup Series season. Although he did not finish any higher than 22nd, there’s still a lot to go on his racing portfolio.

Will Corey LaJoie return to racing in the Cup Series in the future?

It is not surprising that LaJoie’s separation from Spire Motorsports put him in a difficult spot for the future. As he looks forward to the 2026 Cup Series season, there is seemingly no team that he has signed up for. But that doesn’t destroy all hope for him. There could be a lot more coming his way.

A return to Amazon Prime is in LaJoie’s books for the 2026 NASCAR season. However, the question still stands in front of him, a driver. Although he is still waiting for an opportunity, he is not too afraid to pack his bags and move on.

“I’ve been still chasing the dream of trying to get back to Sunday full time, and if that window is closed, I’ll just shift gears and go on to the next thing,” LaJoie admitted.

Corey LaJoie’s career downfall was unexpected. Although he did manage to uplift himself through a different side of racing, will fans ever see him return as a full-time driver in the future?