By AMANDA VINCENT
Corey LaJoie will drive a No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Mototsports in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, the race team announced Monday. LaJoie has signed a multi-year contract with the team, but the exact length of the contract was not revealed.
“The next chapter of my racing career provides me with a unique opportunity to play a key role in working with a motivated leadership group to build a competitive NASCAR Cup Series team from the ground up,” LaJoie said. “I’m thankful to work directly with Spire Motorsports co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr and all of our partners as we build on the proud and competitive tradition associated with the No. 7. We expect to be a force in the garage for years to come.”
Spire Motorsports is expanding to a two-car team for next season, adding the No. 7 to its stable that already included a No. 77 entry after the purchase of Leavine Family Racing assets. A driver for the No. 77 car next season has not yet been announced. Spire also is moving to Concord, N.C., to the former race shop of 1992 Cup Series champion Alan Kulwicki, who died in a plane crash in 1993. LaJoie’s No. 7 is a nod to the one Kulwicki drove to the title.
“I’ve been an Alan Kulwicki fan my entire life,” LaJoe said. “To compete with the No. 7 on the roof and door is an honor for any driver at any level, but to have it here on our car in the NASCAR Cup Series is taken very seriously.”
LaJoie arrives at Spire Motorsports after leaving Go FAS Racing at the end of the 2020 Cup Series season. In 129-career starts, he has three top-10 finishes, all at either Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway or Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. His best-career finish, to date, is a sixth at Daytona in July 2019.
“Corey LaJoie is a talented young driver and has proven that he wants to get better every time he sits in the race car,” team co-owner T.J. Puchyr said. “He wants to better himself and is willing to go to great lengths to make it happen. That’s the same philosophy Jeff (Dickerson, co-owner) and I subscribe to in all of our business ventures. He fits very well with our group and will obviously play a critical role in the success of our team as we continue to grow and develop. We’re going to build this together and Corey will be the anchor.”
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