NASCAR team announce new drive for 275-race Cup Series star

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie has landed a new drive for the remainder of the 2025 season, an official team statement has confirmed.

It was announced back in June that LaJoie would be racing in the No. 07 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series for nine of the final 13 races of the season, but that has now changed.

Indeed, following Spire Motorsports' decision to release Andres Perez de Lara on Monday, it has been confirmed that LaJoie will now be piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet truck for the final eight races of the season, starting this weekend at Richmond Raceway.

In consultation with NASCAR, Spire will shift the owner points earned by their No. 07 entry to the No. 77 team, with the outfit set to finish the season as a three-car operation, dropping the No. 07 and only running the Nos. 7, 71 and 77.

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Corey LaJoie's 2025 so far

Having exited the series full-time at the end of 2024, LaJoie has competed in four Cup races so far in 2025, driving the No. 01 for Rick Ware Racing at Daytona, Atlanta, Bristol and Atlanta again.

The 33-year-old has also raced in the Truck Series already with Spire, driving the No. 07 to fifth place at Michigan in June.

Speaking ahead of that opportunity and his chance to drive for Spire in the No. 07 truck, which he has now swapped for the No. 77, LaJoie said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the seat and chasing some NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins.

“I put in a lot of work in the early days to help shape Spire Motorsports, and I still have some friends that have been there since day one, so it’ll be good to see them."

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Why has Spire released Pérez de Lara?

Explaining their decision to get rid of Perez de Lara, which opened up the opportunity for LaJoie to drive the No. 77, Spire Motorsports president Bill Anthony stated: “Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future.

“While we haven’t finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond.

"He’s a hard worker, carries himself with humility, and brings a consistently positive attitude to the garage.

“He comes from a great family, and we fully expect him to continue making strides as part of Chevrolet’s driver development program. We’re proud to have been part of his journey and will continue cheering him on.”

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