Corey LaJoie enters Daytona 500, joins Amazon’s NASCAR broadcast

After much speculation and intrigue, Corey LaJoie has finally revealed his 2025 plans. LaJoie joins an impressive list of open entries who will attempt to make the 67th running of the Daytona 500 next month — part of a partial season schedule he’ll drive with Rick Ware Racing.

Lajoie has run eight straight at Daytona (with a fourth-place finish last year), though this will mark the first time since 2018 that he won’t be running full-time in the Cup Series.

The 33-year-old will pilot the No. 01 Ford Mustang for RWR in his ninth 500 attempt. (Fun fact: the number 01 hasn’t been used in the Cup Series in nearly 17 years.) DuraMAX and Take 5 Oil Change will sponsor the effort.

LaJoie had one more announcement to make as well, revealing that he will join the broadcast team for Amazon Prime Video’s five NASCAR Cup races, working as a studio analyst during pre and post-race coverage. LaJoie already hosts his own podcast, Stacking Pennies — a nod to turning small victories into big triumphs. It’s been the theme of LaJoie’s entire career, and the No. 01 is symbolic nod to that mantra.

The second-generation racer has pieced together a NASCAR career through various lower-tier rides, starting a total of 272 Cup races since 2014. Lajoie got the opportunity to fill-in for Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Gateway in 2023. What could have been his big break didn’t go as planned, as Carson Hocevar — who was driving LaJoie’s usual ride in his Cup debut — stole the spotlight. LaJoie drove for Spire Motorsports last season, but connected with RWR midseason when he swapped seats with Justin Haley.

It was a difficult year for LaJoie, who trailed his two teammates in the points and went upside down not once, but twice during the season. But 2025 looks to be a reset of sorts for him, with LaJoie hoping to stack a few more pennies, both on and off the track.