Corey LaJoie

Corey LaJoie has built a Cup Series career on grit, personality, and a willingness to outperform his equipment week after week. With 276 starts and a fan following that rivals drivers with far more victories and far larger teams behind them, the Concord, North Carolina native has become one of the most recognizable and genuinely beloved figures in the modern garage. The son of former Cup driver and two-time Xfinity champion Randy LaJoie, Corey grew up understanding that racing careers are not guaranteed -- they are earned through relentless effort, personal sacrifice, and the ability to make the absolute most of every opportunity that comes your way. His Cup career has been spent largely with smaller teams, where finishing positions that would disappoint factory-backed drivers represent genuine accomplishments born of skill and determination. LaJoie's social media presence and genuine, unfiltered personality have built a connection with fans that transcends on-track results and resonates with an authenticity that marketing departments spend millions trying to manufacture. He is real in a sport that sometimes struggles with realness, and that genuineness has made him a valuable presence for his teams and for NASCAR as a whole. On the track, LaJoie races with the effort and intensity of someone who knows that every lap in a Cup car is a privilege, not a right. His experience across Cup and Trucks has built a racecraft that allows him to punch above his weight class with remarkable consistency.

Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference