NASCAR star walks back controversial comments after signing full-time deal

An image of NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie at the 2025 Daytona 500 — Photo: © IMAGO

NASCAR Truck Series

NASCAR star walks back controversial comments after signing full-time deal

Corey LaJoie is back in a full-time seat

Chris Deeley

Saturday 4 April 2026 15:03

NASCAR star Corey LaJoie has again walked back some controversial quotes about the Truck Series.

The veteran made some disparaging comments about the series early last year, asking 'do you wanna go pump the ego up and hold a trophy on a Friday when there’s 12 people in the grandstands?'

He walked those comments back later in the year when he signed a deal to run nine races at the end of the season, blaming a five-day fast, and has again admitted that the comments were 'wrong' after signing up to race full-time with Kaulig Racing this year following Daniel Dye's departure.

LaJoie had already run two of the first four races of the season before signing up full-time to drive the No. 10 Ram truck, and admitted to Motorsport.com that he sees this as a 'low workload' opportunity.

LaJoie: Kaulig have higher ceiling than Spire

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“It was wrong,” he said of his 2025 comments. “I felt defensive. I felt all these things. I was still trying to keep a seat at the table. But with this deal being on Fridays, no sim yet, and the workload being pretty low, it was an easy yes.

“But once we get this stuff going, I’ll be going over to Pratt Miller more, and be at the shop more. But right now, it’s an easy place for me to want to be because I show up at meetings, shake hands, go to battle at the track, and it's 'see you next Friday'.

LaJoie's seventh place on Friday at Rockingham is the best finish for the No. 10 truck this year, and tied for the best finish for any of the organization's five Ram trucks since their return to the sport.

The rest of the Truck Series schedule looks as follows...

Date	Race	Track	Time (ET)	TV
April 10	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Bristol	Bristol Motor Speedway	7.30pm	FS1
May 1	SpeedyCash.com 250	Texas Motor Speedway	8pm	FS1
May 8	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen	Watkins Glen International	4.30pm	FS1
May 15	ECOSAVE 200	Dover Motor Speedway	7.30pm	FS1
May 22	North Carolina Education Lottery 200	Charlotte Motor Speedway	7.30pm	FS1
May 29	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Nashville	Nashville Superspeedway	8pm	FS1
June 6	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Michigan	Michigan International Speedway	1.30pm	FS1
June19	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race at San Diego	San Diego Street Race	7pm	FS1
July 11	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Lime Rock	Lime Rock Park	1pm	FS1
July 18	Window World 250	North Wilkesboro Speedway	12.30pm	FS1
July 24	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at IRP	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park	8pm	FS1
August 14	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Richmond	Richmond Raceway	7.30pm	FS1
August 22	Team EJP 175	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	1.30pm	FS1
September 17	UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics	Bristol Motor Speedway	8pm	FS1
September 26	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race at Kansas	Kansas Speedway	1pm	FS1
October 9	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race at Charlotte ROVAL	Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval	5pm	FOX
October 16	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race at Phoenix	Phoenix Raceway	7.30pm	FS1
October 23	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race at Talladega	Talladega Superspeedway	4pm	FS1
October 30	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race at Martinsville	Martinsville Speedway	6pm	FS1
November 6	NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race	Homestead-Miami Speedway	7.30pm	FS1