Corey LaJoie crashes out of final race with Spire Motorsports

NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie. Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Corey LaJoie crashes out of final NASCAR race with Spire Motorsports

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Sep 21, 2024 10:17 PM ET

Corey LaJoie's final NASCAR Cup Series start with Spire Motorsports came to an unfortunate end at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday.

LaJoie crashed out of Saturday's Bristol night race, resulting in the veteran driver finishing 36th in his final race as the driver of the No. 7 car.

LaJoie made contact with Josh Berry on the exit of turn two, sending the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro hard into the outside wall. The damage was determined to be terminal, forcing LaJoie to retire from the race.

Bristol gonna Bristol.

Corey LaJoie crashes after contact with Josh Berry.

: USA Network | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/UKaWsEetA3
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 22, 2024

On Friday, it was announced that LaJoie and Rick Ware Racing driver Justin Haley would swap rides for the final seven races of 2024, with Haley joining the No. 7 team and LaJoie joining the No. 51 team. While Haley was confirmed to be Spire's driver for 2025 and beyond, LaJoie's future beyond 2024 is still rocky, with no NASCAR ride confirmed for LaJoie in 2025.

The final seven races of 2024 will be a pivotal stretch in LaJoie's career as he looks to impress team owners throughout the garage area. Unfortunately, his final start with Spire — a team he has had a large hand in building during his four-year tenure with the organization — ended with a crash.

LaJoie's first race with Rick Ware Racing will be held on Sept. 28 at the Kansas Speedway, where Haley will make his first start with the No. 7 team.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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