Corey LaJoie’s new era, embracing of new roles in 2025

This year is the first time in over eight years Corey LaJoie is not racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The 33-year-old second-generation NASCAR racer, instead, is embracing his new roles as a part-time driver, building his Stacking Pennies Performance brand and his upcoming role as an analyst for Amazon Prime’s NASCAR coverage starting next month.

In fact, LaJoie said there is much less pressure this year compared to the last few seasons when he raced full time.

“When you are competing, your life is very structured, you don’t have very much time for anything other than what the mission is,” LaJoie said to The Racing Experts. “It’s been fairly easy to hang out with my kids more, hang out in the back yard, teach my kid t-ball.”

LaJoie raced the first two Cup Series points-awarding events in 2025, racing his way into the Daytona 500 and the following week at Atlanta with Rick Ware Racing.

LaJoie led 10 laps and was leading The Great American Race with eight laps to go. While racing inside the Top-10 on the final lap, the last-lap crash took him out of contention and relegated LaJoie to 22nd.

The entire industry headed south this week just hoping to have a shot at winning the #Daytona500 like we did. We led laps, controlled the restart with 8 laps to go and it didn’t work out. I haven’t smiled inside my helmet as wide as I did tonight.#stackingpennies pic.twitter.com/IqXkW9ei85

— Corey LaJoie (@CoreyLaJoie) February 17, 2025

The next week, LaJoie raced as high as 13th at the superspeedway-style race at Atlanta before a crash in Stage 2 ended his day in 38th.

Despite the not-so-desired finishing results, LaJoie felt confident.

“I left both Atlanta and Daytona feeling good,” LaJoie said. “I can still go compete.”

If LaJoie had won the Daytona 500, he said there was no formal contingency plan in place with Rick Ware’s team to suddenly enter the No. 01 in more races or attempt a full season. He said a conversation could have happened but it would’ve been tough.

“Rick would have been hard pressed to field two full-time cars with how many people and parts it takes to compete on a weekly basis,” LaJoie acknowledged.

LaJoie said the strong run produced pictures of his car leading NASCAR’s biggest race, which he added to his marketing decks. Marketing decks are visual presentations drivers and marketing professionals use when pitching partners about possible sponsorship.

While LaJoie wasn’t racing the next week at Circuit of the Americas, the Texas road course where he qualified inside the Top-10 the year before, he was still helping RWR.  In the team’s war room, he saw unique in-car camera angles and monitored the scanners of fellow competitors.

After COTA, LaJoie went to Phoenix Raceway and watched the race from atop the grandstands in the climate-controlled race control suite, where he saw first-hand how races are officiated.

Additionally, LaJoie is continuing his role as the host of the “Stacking Pennies” NASCAR podcast.

All of the roles and experiences this year can only help the soon-to-be TV analyst for his role with Prime.

But LaJoie isn’t done racing this year. 

LaJoie’s next NASCAR Cup Series race will be at Bristol Motor Speedway. Depending on sponsorship, there could be more starts ahead.

LaJoie will also compete in the Freedom 500 at Freedom Factory, a 0.375-mile racetrack in Brederton, Fla., that is owned by YouTuber and racecar driver Garrett Mitchell — better known as Cleetus McFarland.

Racers will compete in Ford Crown Victorias equipped with nitrous oxide and race for 100 laps. Race entrants also include former NASCAR racers Greg Biffle and Michael Waltrip.

The winner of the event will have the choice of either taking home a brand new Chevrolet ZO8 Corvette or a Mercedes Sprinter van.

“I’m excited about that, I’m definitely going to try and take (the Corvette) back with me, because those C8s are my favorite car out on the road right now,” LaJoie said. “Who knows, maybe in a month, I’ll have my dream car, have a little trophy, but nonetheless, it’s going to be a fun time.”

LaJoie is also staying in shape, working out with his RWR teammate Cody Ware each week and prepping where he can for the upcoming role with Prime.

In preparing to be the best analyst he can be, LaJoie said he is studying clips from FOX’s NASCAR coverage, NFL games. He also said he is working on making more eye contact with camera lenses and how to take interviews in different directions.

“When the lights turn on and you’re live, you don’t get a cut. That is what it is, and I’m excited about that little bit of pressure that gets that adrenaline pumping back that’s not behind the wheel,” LaJoie said.

“I know that I’ll be prepared. It seems like TV is vastly different than the competitive side in terms. If you’re always searching for more, you’re always trying to find that extra hundredth. Whereas [in] TV, you talk with purpose, you talk with knowledge, and you also talk and be an advocate for the sport and its competitors.”