NASCAR: Ex-full-time driver returning to former team for 2025

Before the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season ended, Corey LaJoie was effectively "traded" from Spire Motorsports to Rick Ware Racing for Justin Haley. But while Haley's new Spire Motorsports deal confirmed him as the driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet for the entire 2025 season as well, no such deal was announced for LaJoie.

LaJoie wrapped up the year behind the wheel of the No. 51 Ford, but there were always doubts about him being back with the team full-time in 2025.

Those doubts were effectively confirmed when Rick Ware's team announced that they would be downsizing from two full-time entries to one, with one of their charters being leased out to RFK Racing. The team teams have had a technical alliance since 2023, and RFK Racing expanded to three cars for 2025 as a result.

Cody Ware was then confirmed as the full-time driver of the No. 51 Ford after driving the No. 15 Ford part-time in 2024.

But Rick Ware Racing do still have plans to run the No. 15 Ford part-time in 2025, including at Daytona International Speedway next month in an attempt to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500.

LaJoie has been confirmed as the driver of that car, which has been renumbered to No. 01 to align with his Stacking Pennies brand, for Speedweeks, and he is set to compete in several other races throughout the year which have not yet been announced.

He is also set to serve as an analyst during the five races on Amazon Prime Video, one of the two new broadcast partners as a part of the sport's new seven-year media rights deal. That five-race stint is set to begin with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25 and conclude with the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 22.

Because the No. 15 Ford is a non-chartered (open) entry, LaJoie is not locked into the Daytona 500. There are nine open cars on the entry list, and there are just four (potentially five) spots still open alongside the 36 chartered cars.

He must either lock in on speed in the single-car qualifying session or race his way in via one of the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races.

Daytona 500 single-car qualifying is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 12, and the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races are scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 13 (7:00 p.m. ET on Fox). The 67th annual "Great American Race" itself is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 16 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox). Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action from the "World Center of Racing"!