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Corey Lajoie Reveals His Secret to Team Penske Members After Career’s Best Finish at Watkins Glen

Published 08/24/2023, 1:19 PM EDT

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In the vibrant realm of NASCAR, drivers often reveal unexpected stories that add a dash of excitement to the race. Corey Lajoie, the wheelman behind the #7 car for Spire Motorsports, recently unveiled a lighthearted secret on his podcast that sheds light on his career-best finish at Watkins Glen. Lajoie’s intriguing revelation offers a glimpse into the unexpected factors that can influence a driver’s performance.

What’s the secret behind his success at the Glen? A spontaneous decision that blended thrill and tradition. Corey Lajoie had also recently signed a multi-year contract extension with Spire Motorsports. A decision that could be seen as a setback, considering that he was under the radar of bigger sharks in NASCAR.

However, his story at Spire Motorsports is as captivating as it is heroic. He stuck with the team at a time when things were gloomy and he never looked back. He opened up about his situation with Spire when he was joining the team.

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Lajoie’s secret to a career-best finish at the Glen: A joyride in his 1970 Barracuda

Known for his prowess on the track and engaging presence off it, Lajoie welcomed Ryan Flores. Ryan is the front tire changer for the #12 car for Team Penske. Among the lighthearted banter and candid conversations on his podcast, ‘Stacking Pennies with Corey Lajoie’, a nugget of truth emerged as the conversation was unveiled.

One of Lajoie’s secrets to his P20 finish at Watkins Glen was a fun weekend of racing his 1970 Barracuda. In a candid exchange, Lajoie explained how a friend’s offer to race the vintage vehicle on a Friday led to an unexpected triumph. With a smirk, Lajoie shared that he just wanted to see what kind of pace he had.

Corey Lajoie revealed the story when Flores asked him, “I didn’t feel as good as you this weekend damn. When did you learn how to run road courses?”

“Well, quick story. So, we get there… It was a deal with Jeff’s breaker, who’s been a friend of mine. My 1970 Barracuda, that I am putting a hell cat motor in. He has it, and he’s doing all the stuff that I am not capable of doing,” said Lajoie. “Such as wiring and all the stuff, One, that I don’t have time for. Two, I don’t have the knowledge to do it. So it’s been over at his shop.”

“Two weeks ago, I was over there, and he says, Hey man, I’ve got this car ready to go to the Glen. The guy who was gonna drive it backed out. You wanna get some laps? Would you race this thing at the Glen? And I was like, sure, what else would I do on a Friday? So I brought them over the seat, and checked the car out.

They don’t race full-time, they’ve had a couple of people in and out. Generally, it’s not the fastest car, so I didn’t really wanna publicize that I was doing that. I kinda wanted to kinda come in and like stick my helmet on, put my head down, and see just what kinda pace we have,” he further added.

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His experience behind the wheel of his 1970 Barracuda added a dose of charm to his NASCAR journey.

The Art of Loyalty: Corey Lajoie and Spire Motorsports

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Corey Lajoie’s career, adorned with passion and perseverance, took an interesting turn as he embraced a multiyear extension with Spire Motorsports. This strategic move comes in the midst of a career-defining year for Lajoie.

With a resume that boasts consistent improvement and an unyielding commitment to his craft. Lajoie’s decision to remain with Spire Motorsports speaks volumes about the synergy between ambition and opportunity. As the No. 7 Chevy aptly puts it, “I still feel like I’ve got a lot of work to do there and a lot a lot of stuff personally to learn and grow and just continue to evolve.”

As he announced his contract extension on his podcast, Lajoie looked back at the time when he was joining the team and what he was getting into. “When we built this thing. When we started. There was literally zero employees, like none,” said Lajoie.

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“There was a vision that Jeff and T.J. had, and they had some connections with Rick [Hendrick] and they had some connections with [Chip] Ganassi [Racing] at the time to get cars, and we didn’t really know what would materialize — where we would get pit crews from and this and that.”

“But I trusted Dickerson and T.J. enough [with] the direction they wanted to go and try to get it to. And also, how much faith they had in me made it really enticing to be one of the ones that you know, kind of put it on your back and to make it grow. And I take a lot of pride in that. Take a lot of pride in our continued trajectory,” he added.

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In the ever-evolving world of NASCAR, Corey Lajoie’s story shines as a testament to the joys of spontaneity and the significance of staying true to a shared journey. So, what do you make of Corey’s move to stick with Spire? Do you think he should have looked somewhere else for a better opportunity or has he made the right choice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Veerendra Vikram Singh

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Veerendra Vikram Singh is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. With a natural affinity for motorsports, he brings a unique perspective to his coverage of everything NASCAR. His love for sports extends way beyond NASCAR, encompassing Formula 1 and MotoGP and a few other motorsports as well.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta