Corey LaJoie Makes Odd 'Wife's Boyfriend' Comparison on Truck Series Return
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Corey LaJoie, who parted ways with Spire Motorsports while racing in the Cup Series last year, has returned to the same team this year. However, LaJoie will race in the NASCAR Truck Series in the No.7 Chevy Silverado.
LaJoie will participate in nine Truck Series races, beginning at Michigan International Speedway, followed by his second race at Richmond Raceway on August 8. While he looks forward to a fresh chapter with Spire this year, his analogy offers an insight into his current emotions.
Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass shared a video on X where LaJoie talks about his return to Spire Motorsports. He said:
Corey LaJoie, driver of the #7 Gainbridge Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics...
Corey LaJoie, driver of the #7 Gainbridge Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan. More"So yeah. It's been, you know, a lot of emotions going back in there [at Spire]. Can I give you my analogy? ... Here's my analogy. It's like when you work building a house for five years, and then your wife becomes a TikTok star and says she's not happy anymore, she kicks you out. Then she calls you back a year later, and you have to go live in the guest room, and she's there with a new boyfriend. That's how this thing goes."
LaJoie added that he missed working with the team. He said:
"But I've missed the, just like, the trenches of trying to work together for a common goal. Because it's the only thing, racing's the only thing in life that you can be measured by your effort, good, bad, or indifferent. So, I've missed like, the working collectively trying to get a truck faster, car faster, yourself faster, figuring out what your weaknesses are and making them better."
Corey LaJoie on returning to Spire -- for nine truck races -- after losing his Cup ride with the team last year. pic.twitter.com/ehcgHaVsti — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 7, 2025
LaJoie has driven for Spire in the Cup Series since 2021, making him a part of the team's initial years in NASCAR. He said in a statement:
"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. The No. 07 team has been bringing some fast trucks to the track this year and are looking for a spot in the owner's playoffs.
"It'll be nice to have some consistency with the team to get acclimated to these vehicles, chase some wins and hopefully, a Craftsman Truck series owner's championship."
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson added:
"While discussing our best path to bring Spire our first Craftsman Truck series championship and describing what we needed in a driver, the driver we were all talking about without saying his name was Corey LaJoie.
"So, when I ran into Corey in the motorhome lot one morning earlier this spring, I asked him what he thought about coming home and doing this.
"He is synonymous with what we've built here over the last few years and deserves this opportunity. I'm looking forward to getting him in the truck at Michigan to work out some kinks and start getting a game plan together for the playoffs."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
25 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 25
From Fred McAfee to Reggie Bush and Rejzohn Wright Only 25 days separate us from the New Orleans Saints regular season opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The No. 25 has been worn by a few standouts in Saints history, including two members of the franchise's Hall of Fame. Defensive back Rejzohn Wright gets his turn in the jersey this preseason. Here's a look at all who wore it before him. Saints' History of No. 25 Jerry Simmons was the first to wear No. 25 for the franchise, but only suited up in two games in the team's inaugural campaign and had 2 receptions. Al Dodd followed in 1969, playing 38 games over three years with New Orleans. Dodd was a fairly productive receiver for the Saints, catching 80 passes for 1,382 yards. Jerry Moore was the first defensive player to wear No. 25 as a Saint, playing two years. However, it took six players over a 15-year stretch before a New Orleans draft choice would wear a No. 25 jersey. Johnnie Poe was a sixth-round choice in an outstanding 1981 draft for New Orleans. Poe had an underrated seven-year career as a Saint through the early and middle portion of the 1980s as the defense formed into the fearsome Dome Patrol unit that dominated the league. Poe's 100 games with the Saints are the most for any player to wear No. 25 for the franchise. Over that span he had 17 interceptions, returning 2 for touchdowns. His 7 picks and 146 return yards in 1983 were second in the NFL. Poe also had 6 fumble recoveries and a sack in his New Orleans career. Brad Muster was a disappointment as a 1988 first round choice with the Chicago Bears. In 1993, the Bears swapped Muster with Craig Heyward, the Saints own disappointing first round draft choice in 1988. Muster wore No. 22 in 1993 with New Orleans before switching to No. 25 the next year. He rushed the ball only once that season before retiring at year's end. Of the 17 players that wore No. 25 for New Orleans, Muster is one of 12 that did it for two years or less. Alex Molden is one of two Round 1 draft picks made by the Saints to wear No. 25. The 11th overall choice in the 1996 NFL draft from the Oregon Ducks, Molden was the first cornerback selected that year. The Saints also selected him before such future stars like Eddie George, John Mobley, Marvin Harrison, Jeff Hartings, Eric Moulds, and Ray Lewis. That fact angers New Orleans fans to this day and has Molden, perhaps unfairly, labeled as a draft bust. Molden had a solid career with the Saints, even if it didn't live up to his draft expectations. He played five seasons with the team, with his 74 games the third most of any Saints player to wear No. 25. With New Orleans, Molden had 8 interceptions with 15 passes broken up and forced 5 fumbles along with recording 6 sacks. Fred McAfee had two separate stints with the Saints that would culminate with a place in the franchise's Hall of Fame. A Round 6 choice in the 1991 draft, McAfee was originally with New Orleans from 1991 to 1993. After stops with the Cardinals, Steelers, and Buccaneers, McAfee was back with the Saints in 2000. He wore three different numbers during his New Orleans tenure but is best-known in a No. 25 jersey. McAfee only had 924 yards from scrimmage and 5 touchdowns in 10 total seasons with the Saints. Where he forged his career was on special teams, where he was elite. It was those contributions that caused his 2022 induction into the Saints Hall of Fame. New Orleans has drafted first or second overall three times in their 59-year history. George Rogers was the first overall choice in the 1981 NFL draft. Archie Manning was the second overall pick in 1971. Manning shares that distinction with Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy winning running back with the USC Trojans, who was taken second overall by the Saints in the 2006 NFL draft. He would be with the Saints for five seasons and 60 games, the second-most behind Fred McAfee for any New Orleans offensive player to wear No. 25. Bush was never a featured back for the Saints, but he still made some colossal plays during his time with the franchise. In those five seasons, he rushed for 2,090 yards while catching 294 passes for 2,142 yards and scored 29 offensive touchdowns while adding 4 more scores on punt returns. Bush was also explosive in the postseason, accounting for 5 touchdowns and 639 total yards in six playoff appearances. He left as the franchise's all-time leader in punt return touchdowns and third in receptions by a running back. In 2019, Bush was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. One year after moving on from Bush in free agency, the Saints put another Bush in the No. 25 jersey. Safety Rafael Bush was a free-agent pickup in 2012 and would play 54 games for the team over five seasons. Rafael wouldn't have nearly the same impact as Reggie, but was solid as a backup defensive back and special teams contributor. Six different players have worn the No. 25 since Rafael Bush over the last nine years. Four of them, P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley, and Kendre Miller, ended up switching to different numbers. Miller now wears No. 5 after two injury-plagued years in No. 25. Eli Apple was the last significant contributor to wear the number. Apple actually had a very good year after the Saints acquired him in early 2018, recording 2 interceptions and 9 pass breakups while surrendering just 44% completion percentage in man coverage. That was an aberration, as by 2019 Apple slipped back into, well, what Eli Apple has always been throughout most of his career.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Bunny Shaw awarded No. 9 jersey for Manchester City
Former Tennessee soccer player Bunny Shaw was awarded a No. 9 jersey by Manchester City Women's Football Club. Shaw played for the Lady Vols from 2017-18. She won the Golden Boot award for a second consecutive year with Manchester City during the 2024-25 season. Shaw won the award for a second consecutive season despite having back-to-back campaigns end prematurely due to injury. She totaled 12 goals, while appearing in 14 top-flight matches. Shaw led the Women's Super League, averaging 0.85 goals per game. She shared the award with Arsenal's Alessia Russo. The former Lady Vol previously wore No. 21. No. 9 is traditionally associated with a center forward or striker, a player who typically leads an attack for scoring goals. Shaw has scored 106 goals in 91 games for Manchester City. She previously played professionally in France for Bordeaux. Manchester City opens its regular season versus Chelsea on Sept. 6. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 a.m. EDT. More: Mia Binkowski commits to Tennessee soccer Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
NBC Sports
4 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Richmond race
For the second time this month, the NASCAR Cup Series competes at a short track. The series was at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago and now heads to Richmond Raceway for Saturday night's event (coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network). Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup drivers and teams heading into Richmond. 23XI Racing — Good news: Watkins Glen represented the third time this season the organization had two cars finish in the top 10 with Bubba Wallace eighth and Tyler Reddick ninth. … Wallace has scored four top 10s in a row, tied for the longest streak in his Cup career. … Wallace finished fourth at Richmond last August, his best finish at the track. … Both of Reddick's top 10s at Richmond came in the last two races there. … Reddick was third at Richmond last August. … Corey Heim, the regular season champion in the Truck Series, is back in the No. 67 this weekend, making his third Cup start of the year. Bad news: Riley Herbst was 33rd at Richmond last August in his only Cup start there. Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Noah Gragson will make his 100th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not placed better than 15th in six Richmond starts. … Zane Smith has not placed better than 16th in 11 career Cup short track starts. Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer has qualified in the top 12 in three of his six Cup starts at Richmond. Bad News: Custer's 34th-place finish at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Michigan in June. Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: William Byron extended his lead to 42 points on Chase Elliott with his fourth-place result at Watkins Glen. … Byron has scored back-to-back top-five finishes. … Elliott has four top-five finishes in the last eight Richmond races. … Elliott has placed in the top 10 in eight of the last 10 short track races and that doesn't include his victory in the Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium this year. … Alex Bowman's average finish of 9.3 over the last nine races is the best among full-time drivers. … Bowman will make his 350th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Chase Elliott's 26th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen marked the first time this season he's placed outside the top 20. … Kyle Larson's average finish in the last 12 races is 19.25 — his worst over any 12-race span since joining Hendrick Motorsports ahead of the 2021 season. Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has made 388 consecutive Cup starts, which is the third-longest active streak behind Joey Logano's streak of 600 and Brad Keselowski's streak of 568. Bad news: Stenhouse has only one top-20 finish in his last seven starts at Richmond. Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: The organization has more wins at Richmond (19) than at any other track. … Joe Gibbs Racing has won 10 of the last 18 Richmond Cup races. … Christopher Bell has eight top-three finishes in 24 races this season. … Bell's average finish of 7.3 at Richmond is his best among active oval tracks. … Chase Briscoe has had four top-five finishes in the last five races. … Briscoe is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all three short track races this season, placing ninth at Martinsville, fourth at Bristol and second at Iowa. … Denny Hamlin has five wins at Richmond. … Hamlin has finished in the top two in six of the last eight Richmond races. … Hamlin has won three of the last 10 short track races, including this season at Martinsville. … Hamlin has more wins (five) than any other driver on short tracks with the Next Gen car. … Hamlin has led at least a lap in each of the last nine races at Richmond. Bad news: Ty Gibbs has finished outside the top 20 in the last three races. … Christopher Bell has had a speeding penalty in each of the last three races at Richmond. … Briscoe has never scored a top-10 finish in eight Cup starts at Richmond. Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger will make his 100th Cup start with Kaulig Racing on Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Allmendinger has finished 26th or worse in his last seven starts at Richmond. … Ty Dillon has had three consecutive finishes of 28th or worse. Legacy Motor Club — Good news: Erik Jones' 12th-place finish at Watkins Glen moved him to within one point of 20th in the season standings. … Jones has seven top-15 finishes in the last 14 races. … John Hunter Nemechek has three top-15 finishes in the last six races. Bad news: Nemechek has not placed better than 25th in three Richmond Cup starts. Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Austin Dillon won at Richmond last August. … Dillon has placed in the top 10 in two of the last three Richmond races. … Dillon's last two Cup wins have come in the final three weeks of the playoffs (Daytona in August 2022 and Richmond in August 2024). … Kyle Busch's six Cup wins at Richmond are the most among active drivers. … Busch's average finish of 7.6 at Richmond is his best among active ovals. Jesse Love will in the No. 33 car this weekend, making his fifth Cup start of the season. Bad news: Although Busch has 16 Cup short track wins, his most recent victory on that style of track came in April 2019 at Bristol. Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware's 29th-place finish at Watkins Glen snapped a streak of four finishes of 32nd or worse. Bad news: Ware has never finished better than 34th in four Richmond Cup starts. RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher continues to hold the final Cup playoff spot with two races left in there regular season. … All three of Buescher's top-10 finishes at Richmond, including a win, have come in the last five races there. … Brad Keselowski led a season-high 68 laps in finishing third at Iowa last month in the most recent short track race. … Ryan Preece's average finish of 10.9 over the past nine races ranks fourth among full-time drivers. … Preece has 11 top-15 finishes in the last 13 races. Bad news: Preece has one top-15 finish in nine career Cup starts at Richmond. Dustin Long, Spire Motorsports — Good news: Carson Hocevar placed eighth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Justin Haley's 27th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Nashville in June. … Haley has not finished better than 21st in eight Cup starts at Richmond. … Michael McDowell has one top-10 finish in 27 Cup starts at Richmond. Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney will make his 350th consecutive Cup start Saturday at Richmond, the fifth-longest active streak in the series (behind Joey Logano at 600, Brad Keselowski at 568, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 388 and Kyle Busch at 373). … Blaney has scored four consecutive top-10 finishes this season. … Blaney has scored the most points (119) on short tracks this season. Bad news: Richmond is the only oval on the circuit that Blaney does not have a top-five finish. … Austin Cindric does not have a top-10 finish in seven Cup starts at Richmond. … Logano has not finished better than ninth in the last 10 races. Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Organization placed all three cars in the top 10 for the first time in a race last weekend at Watkins Glen with Shane van Gisbergen winning, Daniel Suarez seventh and Ross Chastain 10th. … Chastain's finish at Watkins Glen tied for his best result over the past nine races. … Chastain finished fifth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Suarez has placed 25th or worse in five of the last seven races. Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry's average finish of 9.0 at Richmond is his best among tracks he's made multiple starts. … Berry finished second at Richmond in April 2023. .. Berry qualified third at Richmond last August. Bad news: Berry has one top-10 finish since his victory at Las Vegas in March.
