As the Daytona 500 hunt begins, Corey LaJoie expresses his thoughts clearly about his NASCAR future

At the conclusion of the 2024 Cup Series season, Corey LaJoie's NASCAR career came to an end. During his four seasons with Spire Motorsports, he only managed four top-five finishes and went winless. His NASCAR Cup career was in jeopardy after LaJoie was fired due to his subpar performance and Spire Motorsports' transformation.

Since no Cup team has made an offer to LaJoie, he is still unsure of his 2026 run when the 2025 Cup season is in its playoffs. He recently discussed his strategy for the upcoming NASCAR season and whether he would accept a demotion.

Corey LaJoie Explains His Goals for the 2026 NASCAR Season

LaJoie made two Truck Series appearances with Spire Motorsports and four Cup outings for Rick Ware Racing in 2025. In addition to being a frequent guest on NASCAR's "Stacking Pennies" podcast, the North Carolina native served as the race analyst for the five races that Amazon Prime televised this season. He hasn't participated in any full-time races in any of the three NASCAR series, but he still has four truck series races left in the season.

As you may remember, there were rumors that Lajoie would be demoted to the Truck Series or the Xfinity Series after his dismissal, but this did not materialize in 2025. LaJoie's hesitation to compete in the lesser series may be the cause. He recently stated that he is not very interested in competing in the Truck Series the following season, but he is hoping to earn a spot at the Daytona 500 because of the large race prize.

"I'll entertain DAYTONA 500 offers because I think I can compete for a win in a decent car there, and I made the race the hard way a couple of times," he stated on the Stacking Pennies podcast. I believe I can contribute to a team, and you may earn around a year's salary in a week. I'll have a look at that, but I'm not entertaining, as the Truck Series says.

LaJoie may earn a year's salary if he wins the Daytona 500, which is a difficult feat unless the race is as wild as it is this season. This season, LaJoie ended in P4, although that was after the majority of the top field had crashed out. He would therefore need to run with the best machinery in order to have a chance of winning there, and it doesn't seem likely that he would be able to acquire a ride with one of the top three NASCAR teams.

Additionally, he doesn't want to ride trucks since he doesn't find them "fun to drive." Instead, LaJoie would prefer a Cup Series season. It's unlikely, though, considering his prior performance and the dearth of openings in teams, which has disappointed him. Since things are the way they are, there aren't really any [opportunities], aren't there? You lose your seat when you leave them. When the music stops, they add someone else who can perform the same task and is more affordable and equivalent," he continued.

LaJoie has other ambitions for 2026 than racing. He might stick with Prime Video or look for additional options with other broadcasters because he likes being on TV.

Aside from that, he will continue to perform the "Stacking Pennies" podcast with NASCAR if they want to; this will allow him to remain associated with the sport. In addition, he intends to launch a carbon fiber company outside of racing. What the year holds for him is only a matter of time.