For Corey LaJoie to follow up his career-best P5 finish last year at Atlanta with a P4 finish this year is major for Spire Motorsports. There is a reason why LaJoie is so respected in the garage and by so many fans. He works harder and drives harder than many NASCAR Cup Series guys ahead of him. Plain and simple.
When you’re on a small team and dedicated to a small team like Corey LaJoie and Spire – good things can happen. Consistency is key in NASCAR. And money, of course. You can argue which comes first for most groups, a chicken and egg situation. But that’s what it takes.
After finishing P4 at Atlanta, Corey got to talk to Jamie Little on TV.
“It feels great. You know it’s this taboo to say like second sucks, fourth sucks. Fourth is great. Fourth is great for our Celsius Camaro and our small team. Just a great points day. You know we started off the year, West Coast swing, really solid. And to come back here it’s a bit of a crapshoot but to get a career-best here…
“You know I don’t expect to show up and instantly win a race, you have to just keep putting yourself in these positions like Joey. That’s why he wins all the time because he’s up front all the time. As I get myself some more confidence, race around these guys, these guys see me up there racing with them – our day is going to come.”
You can tell just how excited Corey LaJoie is in that video. He did a good job keeping his cool, but I know he wanted to shout and jump around after finishing fourth. It’s a major finish for a team like Spire and shows how talented LaJoie is.
Is the Corey LaJoie Hype Real?
This has been a question on everyone’s minds for years. Is the Corey LaJoie hype real? He comes from a racing family and loves racing in all forms. He even got dirty with the modified open-wheel guys in the Whelen Series. Things are starting to look up for Spire and LaJoie. At least in the No. 7 car.
Not to pit two teammates against one another, but there is something to note between LaJoie and Dillon. In the first five races of the year, LaJoie has finishes of P16, P14, P20, P26, and P4. Not too bad for the 7 car.
Meanwhile, in the 77, Dillon is struggling. He’s not in RCR equipment or even PettyGMS equipment. And that’s just being honest about the difference between those groups and Spire. In five races, Dillon has finishes of P40, P31, P34, P30, and P23.
So, is the Corey LaJoie hype real? We’ll have to wait and see about that. For right now, I’d argue it is real and about to grow. LaJoie might not get a win this year, but his day is gonna come.
