@midwesttrainchasers8587 I mean, Kyle literally sold his truck team to Spire, his shop and employees essentially got absorbed by them, and he drove and won for Spire in the truck this year. He has a working relationship with that team as it is, so moving to them for Cup actually makes a lot of sense
@@caidenshafer6951 If you dont count Zane (Trackhouse) he the same amount of CUP wins in the past three years then their current drivers have in all 3 series combined... in there entire career. Carson has them all with 4 truck wins. What a ridiculous statement made by a hater, we get it you dont like Kyle but stop.
Kyle sold his truck team to Spire, his shop and employees essentially got absorbed by them, and he drove and won for Spire in the truck this year. He has a working relationship with that team as it is, so moving to them for Cup actually makes a lot more sense to me now than it did when the news first broke
We all know Busch is unhappy at RCR Randle Burnett hasn’t produced cars consistently for Kyle to drive. Kyle likes a loose and more free car. Every weekend the car is on the tight side. RCR on the cup side has struggled tremendously since the new gen car.
Holy smoke! I think LaJoie knew that his days at Spire were numbered, this leaves the door wide open for Kyle Busch to leave RCR for Spire. A championship winning CC in Rodney Childers partnering up with a champion like Busch could be a spicy combination, watch out for the #7 team if KB joins next year.
I can't imagine anyone wanting to take on the albatross that Kyle Busch would be to any team he joins. Past his prime and can provide no meaningful input on the current gen car so not sure what the upside to bringing him onboard would be other than experience and the young guys have shown that is not what it used to be in NASCAR. I was excited to see KB get a chance outside of JGR but unfortunately it appears to show that some, not-inconsiderable amount of his success there was because of the equipment. Now we have an older, past his prime, pissed off, shitty attitude guy that seems to not understand that most of what he is going through he brought on himself. A cast off in a team full of cast offs with Love being the only guy on the team with a solid future as Austin Hill looks like he is taking the KB approach to racing. I just don't see KB going anywhere than where he is.
@@ChuckHickl Hmmm, all good reasons why Spire might not want Busch. But I always ask myself - what would be the most entertaining thing for me? I have to say, I'm intrigued by the possibility of Busch going to Spire. It's almost absurd.
@@user-iz6cc6lz3j-Vickie"fiery" is one thing, Busch adds a ton of stupid adolescence into that asking with a propensity to air everything that flashes through his brain. Cannot see Rodney touching any of that.
No surprise, multiple years in cup and zero nascar wins in any of the top 3 touring series is not good for job stability. I hope that Michael McDowell gets Rodney Childers, that's a winning combination.
Such a stupid comment! Corey has clawed his way up through the Cup series with one car independent teams that were the David's to the Giant powerhouse teams. Eight races and one run in with Kyle Busch shouldn't define his career!
The NASCAR industry basically gave up on Corey after he failed to deliver in his one race for the #9 team and Carson Hocevar was running better than he did in his own car until his brake rotor failure.
Corey has had years. And don't blame underfunded cars cuz Kurt Busch took #51 before it was Rick ware, start and park car to top tens and put it on the map. Corey is not a hass been, he is a " never been". Young guns and good veterans will push him out
It escaped me that not everyone will realize the following quote is from a movie, and I probably dated myself with this quote. But it is just a quote. No one lose their stuff. "Gawd Damn... You got to be a stupid mother-bleeper- to get fired on your day off." How the hell you get fired on your day off? ...meanwhile, Sergio Perez is gonna be like 'Hold My Beer' next week.
Eric - I recall Dale Jr saying on one of this episodes that "things at Spire still need to be worked out" and this was after they announced Rodney's deal. I at time though that was weird and thought something like this could happen. It seems as he hinted us that this could be coming.
I might sound crazy but here’s my take. - Spire 2025 lineup includes: McDowell, Hocevar, and Busch to the 7 with Rodney. - Spire and Busch have also been business partners in the past with Spire buying KBM. -IF the charter deals DOES NOT go through, Spire will redeem ALOT of the money they paid for the SHR charter, and put that toward Kyle’s salary. - RCR will drop from being a key Chevy partner and be replaced by Spire (similar to what happened with FRM and SHR).
Corey Lajoie was in my 2024-25 Hot Seat predictions, then it's happening about Corey Lajoie is out of Spire after this year. I am absolutely surprised by this news during the 2 break weeks and also what happened at Pocono Raceway 2 weeks ago with Kyle Busch that Corey became the enemy No. 1 of the fans on Twitter.
Corey is the only veteran that you can say is a "veteran" by tenure in the sport alone. Has been isn't even the term he's a never will be in NASCAR. The cockiness to say "he'll be making more money than any spotter" is insane too cause I don't really see any team wanting to sign him. Being a veteran in the sport without a win is INSANE.
I think the Pocono situation played a big part in what happened. I think a lot of teams were upset at that and rightfully so and probably his own team. It’s no coincidence all the sudden. He’s not a cup driver anyway, belong in the lower levels.
One thing that crossed my mind with this.. what if Spire sells one charter and then merges with RCR? I mean Austin and Kyle both have said many times that RCR is going to see some big changes. Both are Chevy teams and Spire doesn’t mind spending big bucks. You never know these days.
I keep hearing people say he is not that good equipment. they don't get their parts from advanced auto parts. they all get there parts from the same place. motors are the difference. but it comes down to the guy driving . he might get a #8 ride . trade with Bush. or maybe tge 41 car. it's not the cars as much as it was before gen6 cars. set up and driver make the difference.
I felt like Corey knew when he dumped kyle at pocono when it happened, but now that you say it, its totally possible and makes sense why Corey was so pissed off. I also have a hard time believing they hired Rodney for Corey. I think Rodney was hired knowing who the driver will be and is not surprised by the news today. The timing is because the next domino is ready to drop and that could be kyle! I think you're right, and I hope you are!!
Agreed. But payroll might be a big problem for Spire, after the signings of Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and now Rodney Childers… Sorry, but I just don’t see Kyle Busch at Spire Racing anytime soon…
@@twoblacklabs904 Not so sure about that - Kyle is about winning races and he's obviously hungry to get back to being competitive. He's also the highest earning driver in Nascar, and with no race team to support, how much money does he really need? He could retire tomorrow and most likely be set financially for life.Would he take a pay cut if it meant he'd be back to running how he used to? The possibility is there.
I get it, its been a tough year.. but I don't wish bad on anyone and I feel for Lajoie. I like to laugh and make jokes about how he always wrecks people and adds a bit of an exciting chaos factor to the races. But as a person, a father, a husband.. I really hope whatever his future holds for him is ultimately a happier place for him.
My guess is Gainbridge made Spire's decision to move LaJoie out of the car. They invested a lot of money in the team and want to get a lot more performance out of it. There are still a lot of drivers on the free agency market, and now is the best time in several years to pick a driver who you feel has a lot of potential. Will it be Kyle Busch or will it be another driver that they can build their future around? I could see them going either way.
Smoking some good stuff if you think any team will hire Corey LaPew. His Nascar days in any series i think are OVER and good ridden 😂 I'll add you must be drinking some moonshine if you think any Cup team will hire Ryan Preece. Back to the minor leagues for him. There's too much good talent out there for Cup teams to waste any time on these 2 guys.
@@seanscorsonellibean2153 Preece also has never been in top equipment either in the Cup Series, LaJoie idk what will happen to him just a guess because Trackhouse gives guys oppurtunities too
Hocevar’s 15.6 average finish in the 77 is absurdly impressive! I get Spire is improving, but that car was a back marker with Dillon and Bilicki/Cassil. And he’s just a 21 year old rookie. I’m actually kinda hoping Hocevar pairs up with Childers. Lambert is incredible with young drivers, but Rodney Childers has a HOF resume and he may be able to tap into Carson’s potential more than anyone in the sport. Maybe the 7 goes to a young guy that can work with Luke.
It was kinda writing on the wall with McDowell signing there that they wouldn’t bring LaJoie back. They’ll probably move Hocevar to the 7 and have Zayn Smith in the lineup still would be good. LaJoie can outrun lower mid pack cars, but can’t with mid to top tier equipment
You know Eric, you got me thinking... Busch to Spire would be awesome. Move Austin Hill up to run the 8. He fits the family restaurant / rough bourbon sponsor vibe. What's that? Lajoie to the 21 (Xfinity) at RCR? Finally a top tier ride that he can wheel the hell out of. But there's something lurking... What about Busch and Childers spearheading Honda's entrance to NASCAR? Especially with possible buy in from Andretti. What a great way for Busch and Childers to finish their chapter before retirement. (Honda to Toyota) Sorry you guys couldn't find sponsorship for Kyle. Don't worry, we have plenty!
Randy Lajoie is at North Georgia Sppedway tonight, trying to sell seats. My son works for a team that uses his seats and he saw it and stopped to chat. Randy said Corey asked him what he should do after the team gave him a $1M and said bye. He said, "Go on vacation."
This move don’t surprise me either. Does anyone remember that show race for the championship I think it was called? There was this this scene where Lajoe tried taking over working in the car for the engineers. It was so cringe and you can see the engineers pissed if faces at him lol. Makes me think the team hasn’t liked him for a long time now.
I think we all knew Corey was going to be on the Hot Seat next year. There was a big question mark on whether or not he was going to be able to handle the pressure, but I did expect to see him in the 7 car in 25. I do feel bad for Corey, he seem like a good dude and likeable guy, but I understand Spire position.
Corey has been close to winning before it just didn't go his way I'm not a fan of his But I still would like to see him win a race It's always nice when an underdog can get a win against the big teams.
Can you make a video regarding all the silly season changes coming in 2025 regarding each ride and if the ride has not been filled who may or most likely fills that seat?
I'm not so sure on Kyle Busch, if only because they are in a bind and I don't mean on track. Dillon is likely gone after 2025 and Jesse Love needs a decent mentor to break into Cup As to Childers, definitely pair him with McDowell. As soon as that 34 won the 500, that team found their stride and are now a Tier 1 Ford partner. I can't say if he can build Spire the same way given HMS, RCR, and Trackhouse already have that distinction...then again if you told me Front Row would replace SHR four years ago I'd think an asteroid hit their factory
This makes a lot of sense considering Spire hired Rodney Childers to be crew chief of the 7. What a waste that signing would be if Lajoie was still the driver.
Is it possible that McDowell goes to the 7, and Zane Smith stays with Spire another year in the 71. Then Trackhouse can promote SVG to cup in the 97 if they end up with one of the SHR charters.
I am not surprised if we are to be honest. Spire is trying to become a contender and sadly Lajoie has not shown the ability to assist in the vision. The last few weeks shows that this has already been in the works from the way that he started driving on the track
@@FrontstretchFan Absolutely. This year seems forced and angry from him as a driver. I mean. There is pain in his statement. I know he isn't the best driver out there but hopefully dude can get a seat somewhere with a better environment around him
I kind of thought Corey would do well if anyone would take a chance on him. Like when he wrote HMS for the 48... I think he just needs teammates and equipment to lean on and he could be a star. If anything, he could be a Chastain type driver (able to win and compete for win and top 5s).
Dang im bummed for Lajoie. I figured next year would be the make or break season for him. Im curious if he'll take another ride or call it a day on the track.
Corey would make a great XFINITY lifer or Truck lifer, it'll be like Custer stepping down to XFINITY from Cup, instant championship contender if he's in a good team.
Corey has been so important for that team. Yeah Carson is ahead of him in the points but they don’t have really good cars. LaJoie has definitely struggled the past couple of months. Now we know which car McDowell will be driving with which crew chief. With Carson doing pretty good, where would Kyle Busch go at Spire? The other car is Trackhouse and Zane. This is pretty crappy for Corey at this time of year. Maybe second car for Haas in Xfinity?
Two questions in my mind: ! - Can Spire afford to buy out Kyle's contract as I would expect Childress to ask a premium price? 2 - Can Spire afford a 40 year old driver on the downside of his career that makes 10 - 15 MILLION dollars a year? While not ever a Kyle Busch fan, do enjoy watching him race as he is an ultimate competitor that will also make other racers better
I expect he'll probably stick around in the sport in some capacity, but I don't see him finding another seat in the Cup series. I think everyone's given LaJoie as much of the benefit of the doubt as they're inclined to. Even when Spire started to get their act together, he still proved to be the weak link.
I have a feeling this move was only done because Spire has already had go ahead or the talks with someone else thats lead to a contract and the seat is filled already. If I guess I say either they worked out a deal to buy out someone else's contract and have them to replace Corey whether that is Zane, Busch, or someone else. Zane could happen since there is no space for him in the Trackhouse stable. Busch could happen because they paid RC enough and Childress wants to move Austin Hill up. Those 2 seem the most likely to fill the seat.
I don’t think Corey’s been done dirty at all. He’s been terrible all year, and Pocono didn’t help that case. Hocevar has outrun him. Hocevar, a rookie. Zane Smith has also started outrunning him. Another rookie. Hate to say it. Corey’s overrated.
LaJoie has been awful for months. Not surprising. I posted in his podcast comments a few weeks back that he needed to stop overdriving his equipment and causing wrecks.
Corey will be cutting it up in the back half of the truck field next season with Ty Dillon or the middle third of the xfinity grid with Matty D. He is the second coming off Dibenedetto
Boy Eric I like your take on Busch to Spire with Childers maybe they do a driver swap Lajoie to the number 8. This is exactly why they call it silly season keep up the great work bud
Something tells me that there could've been something behind the scenes between Lajoie & Spire that could've also led to this decision. With how sudden this is, it's not something that should be overlooked
@@BraydenBunch58 New York racing is Chinese racing? That makes no sense! Spire is funded by Gainbridge, a sports sponsoring LLC that is an arm of an Illinois and Delaware Insurance giant!
Great podcast. Umm, I think your hunch that soemthing is very odd about this announcement is spot on. You have enough experience to know how it normally works and how it works when it is abnormal. This is abnormal. Not going to hazard a guess. However, I really hope Corey lands on his feet. A super nice person and a great ambassador for the sport. He should be proud of what he has done on and off the track. It would be so ironic of he wins a race or has a string of top finishes before the season is out. That I would like to see.
Kyle Busch did say "payback was coming" after Pocono, he didn't specify what KIND of payback 👀
Can you imagine if that was really what it was!
Whoo….thats a very interesting comment
He did say it'd be handled off the track
@@keanueraineKyle bush taking his ride I'm telling you
Hahahahaha this is gold
Ya know Kyle Busch is at the Spire Motorsports Doors saying “open the door”
I wonder if that will actually happen
@tristanhapes2018 could u imagine... lol spire becoming a power house and kyle bush showing up jgr
"let me in.. LET ME IN!!!"
Busch and Childers together would be dangerous
spire must’ve fired him after corey lajoie wrecked and blamed his future teammate…
Rodney Childers has probably dropped the biggest sigh of relief upon learning of this news.
He did crew chief for Scott Riggs
@@JGR4LIFE20Atleast Riggs was tolerable
I'd say he probably knew befor he signed up
Spire really said “I’m on Busch’s side”
🤣🤣🤣
Childers+ Rowdy Busch+ Spire= the Redemption tour everyone needs to see
If this actually happens. That would really be something. If these Rodney and Kyle get paired up. Except the no.7 team to make the playoffs.
If this happens, I say while they spend all that money for KyBu might as well call up rick ware for that #51 registration
@@richardschwyn6990 oh yea. I haven’t thought about it. But if Kyle chooses to end his career with spire. What a why to go out.
If Kyle does end up there I’m sure Rodney had an idea but I’ll wait and see because Spire could go in a different direction
Spire has the money, they could definitely make this happen!
Bruh. When Kyle Busch said payback was coming I didn't think Busch meant he'd take his entire ride!
That would be epic!
Oh Lord I hope so
Hope not
As much of a good guy Corey Lajoie is
Absolutely the correct move by Spire
How do you know he's a good guy?
@@nicksterl.2133 because I’ve met him multiple times in the garage area Lol
Lajoie aint no good guy buddy. He is a clown
@@JackCallSports and that means he's a good guy? LOL.
At least people like clowns @@christianfehr8652
mr stacking pennies is gonna be mr stacking burgers now… 💀🙏😭
Stacking Shelves
Bruh
Stacking seats at the family business
More like flipping burgers
Stacking Patties
Kyle Busch: Hey guys, remember me? 😁
If I was kyle I would never
@midwesttrainchasers8587 I mean, Kyle literally sold his truck team to Spire, his shop and employees essentially got absorbed by them, and he drove and won for Spire in the truck this year. He has a working relationship with that team as it is, so moving to them for Cup actually makes a lot of sense
Kyle bush is happy he jumps in that car if he's smart
Corey LaJoie, do you want cheese on that
@@midwesttrainchasers8587why wouldn’t ya? Spire has been better then RCR
Something something Kyle Busch something something driving for Spire Motorsports…..
He should drive for Spire because "he sucks just as bad as the drivers that have"
Heard a whisper a few weeks back.....
Two years earlier sounds like a nightmare, now sounds like a hope
RCR supports #7 and their driver dumped one of the RCR house cars. Something something something, good bye don't come back next year
@@caidenshafer6951 If you dont count Zane (Trackhouse) he the same amount of CUP wins in the past three years then their current drivers have in all 3 series combined... in there entire career. Carson has them all with 4 truck wins. What a ridiculous statement made by a hater, we get it you dont like Kyle but stop.
What a world we live in if Busch gets to drive the 7 car 😂
I forgot Spire did buy KBM trucks 🤔
And Kyle Busch drove for spire in trucks this year
Let's not forget Kyle Busch does have ties with spire, from truck series stuff
Yeah, he sold KBM to them. I'm kinda surprised he didn't get any ownership in Spire out of the deal.
@@ZVPieGuy he plays a role in competition for the truck drivers
I find it hard to believe Childers wasn't aware of this .
Kyle sold his truck team to Spire, his shop and employees essentially got absorbed by them, and he drove and won for Spire in the truck this year. He has a working relationship with that team as it is, so moving to them for Cup actually makes a lot more sense to me now than it did when the news first broke
Could Kyle Busch possibly go to 7 since he sold KBM to Spire
If Richard doesn't pick up the option this is possible however since Kyle is essentially propping up RCR I don't think Richard would do it
let's not get over silly busch is returning to Childress
Good thought
Could be KFB4LIFE!!!!
We all know Busch is unhappy at RCR Randle Burnett hasn’t produced cars consistently for Kyle to drive. Kyle likes a loose and more free car. Every weekend the car is on the tight side. RCR on the cup side has struggled tremendously since the new gen car.
Spire said "just put my fries in the bag corey" 😂
Holy smoke! I think LaJoie knew that his days at Spire were numbered, this leaves the door wide open for Kyle Busch to leave RCR for Spire. A championship winning CC in Rodney Childers partnering up with a champion like Busch could be a spicy combination, watch out for the #7 team if KB joins next year.
I can't imagine anyone wanting to take on the albatross that Kyle Busch would be to any team he joins. Past his prime and can provide no meaningful input on the current gen car so not sure what the upside to bringing him onboard would be other than experience and the young guys have shown that is not what it used to be in NASCAR. I was excited to see KB get a chance outside of JGR but unfortunately it appears to show that some, not-inconsiderable amount of his success there was because of the equipment. Now we have an older, past his prime, pissed off, shitty attitude guy that seems to not understand that most of what he is going through he brought on himself. A cast off in a team full of cast offs with Love being the only guy on the team with a solid future as Austin Hill looks like he is taking the KB approach to racing. I just don't see KB going anywhere than where he is.
@@ChuckHickl Hmmm, all good reasons why Spire might not want Busch. But I always ask myself - what would be the most entertaining thing for me? I have to say, I'm intrigued by the possibility of Busch going to Spire. It's almost absurd.
Rodney knows how to
Communicate with the fiery drivers. He and Kevin hopefully Rodney and Kyle.
@@user-iz6cc6lz3j-Vickie"fiery" is one thing, Busch adds a ton of stupid adolescence into that asking with a propensity to air everything that flashes through his brain. Cannot see Rodney touching any of that.
Kyle has an option yr with RCR next yr
No surprise, multiple years in cup and zero nascar wins in any of the top 3 touring series is not good for job stability. I hope that Michael McDowell gets Rodney Childers, that's a winning combination.
Such a stupid comment! Corey has clawed his way up through the Cup series with one car independent teams that were the David's to the Giant powerhouse teams. Eight races and one run in with Kyle Busch shouldn't define his career!
@@johnlafever3162 You prefaced your own comment, well done champ!
So you don’t like Ty Dillon either then. Or Todd Gilliland. Wins aren’t everything. Why do you think Daniel Hemric is still in the sport.
@@NikeHM69 how is it a "pre-"face if my reply to the original post comes first, and I back up my reply explaining my logic, post comment?
@@Caymic who tf likes Ty Dillon
The NASCAR industry basically gave up on Corey after he failed to deliver in his one race for the #9 team and Carson Hocevar was running better than he did in his own car until his brake rotor failure.
Chase Elliot couldn’t win in that car last year. You can’t criticise Corey because Hendricks 9 crew sucked last year
Hocevar could sit out two races and still be ahead of Corey in points
Corey said that week when he was running the 9 that they were beta testing a new shifting system so I don’t think that he really got a fair shake
@@mattcecil6692 chase out pointed lajoie by over 200 with 2k less laps ran.
Corey has had years. And don't blame underfunded cars cuz Kurt Busch took #51 before it was Rick ware, start and park car to top tens and put it on the map.
Corey is not a hass been, he is a " never been". Young guns and good veterans will push him out
It escaped me that not everyone will realize the following quote is from a movie, and I probably dated myself with this quote. But it is just a quote. No one lose their stuff.
"Gawd Damn... You got to be a stupid mother-bleeper- to get fired on your day off."
How the hell you get fired on your day off?
...meanwhile, Sergio Perez is gonna be like 'Hold My Beer' next week.
Is it from the movie Friday?
Eric - I recall Dale Jr saying on one of this episodes that "things at Spire still need to be worked out" and this was after they announced Rodney's deal. I at time though that was weird and thought something like this could happen. It seems as he hinted us that this could be coming.
I might sound crazy but here’s my take.
- Spire 2025 lineup includes: McDowell, Hocevar, and Busch to the 7 with Rodney.
- Spire and Busch have also been business partners in the past with Spire buying KBM.
-IF the charter deals DOES NOT go through, Spire will redeem ALOT of the money they paid for the SHR charter, and put that toward Kyle’s salary.
- RCR will drop from being a key Chevy partner and be replaced by Spire (similar to what happened with FRM and SHR).
His fate was set when he got in Chases car, wrecked in practice and qualifying and hocevar ran up front in his car. That exposed him pretty bad.
True
Kyle Busch did say that payback is coming. No better payback than taking Corey's ride next year.
That would be nice
Ha!
I mean going from RCR to Spire is a step backwards, not forward
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Corey Lajoie was in my 2024-25 Hot Seat predictions, then it's happening about Corey Lajoie is out of Spire after this year.
I am absolutely surprised by this news during the 2 break weeks and also what happened at Pocono Raceway 2 weeks ago with Kyle Busch that Corey became the enemy No. 1 of the fans on Twitter.
Corey is the only veteran that you can say is a "veteran" by tenure in the sport alone. Has been isn't even the term he's a never will be in NASCAR. The cockiness to say "he'll be making more money than any spotter" is insane too cause I don't really see any team wanting to sign him. Being a veteran in the sport without a win is INSANE.
I think the Pocono situation played a big part in what happened. I think a lot of teams were upset at that and rightfully so and probably his own team. It’s no coincidence all the sudden. He’s not a cup driver anyway, belong in the lower levels.
Surprise, surprise...Spire FINALLY came to their senses regarding Corey LaJoie. Now Corey can begin his new career Stacking Door Dash deliveries.
Busch + Childers + 7 = Hell Yeah!
Eric Estepp I never miss a single episode
One thing that crossed my mind with this.. what if Spire sells one charter and then merges with RCR? I mean Austin and Kyle both have said many times that RCR is going to see some big changes. Both are Chevy teams and Spire doesn’t mind spending big bucks. You never know these days.
GREAT TITLE!!! Tell it like it is. If I can poop on your take about Deegan, I can be man enough to “that a boy” you when you do good. Well done Eric!
I keep hearing people say he is not that good equipment. they don't get their parts from advanced auto parts. they all get there parts from the same place. motors are the difference. but it comes down to the guy driving . he might get a #8 ride . trade with Bush. or maybe tge 41 car. it's not the cars as much as it was before gen6 cars. set up and driver make the difference.
Facts 💯
That Pocono incident was the straw that broke the camel's back
I agree, and I think his comments afterwards were the final nail in the coffin.
Lajoie to the Kaulig #11 Xfinity car for Williams
Where would Williams go then
@@Pointlesscrap-lu5viwho cares? The only reason people know of Williams is because he parked a car. Granted Lajoie hasn't done anything either
I felt like Corey knew when he dumped kyle at pocono when it happened, but now that you say it, its totally possible and makes sense why Corey was so pissed off. I also have a hard time believing they hired Rodney for Corey. I think Rodney was hired knowing who the driver will be and is not surprised by the news today. The timing is because the next domino is ready to drop and that could be kyle! I think you're right, and I hope you are!!
Busch and Childers could be a very dangerous combo
Agreed. But payroll might be a big problem for Spire, after the signings of Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell and now Rodney Childers…
Sorry, but I just don’t see Kyle Busch at Spire Racing anytime soon…
@@twoblacklabs904 Not so sure about that - Kyle is about winning races and he's obviously hungry to get back to being competitive. He's also the highest earning driver in Nascar, and with no race team to support, how much money does he really need? He could retire tomorrow and most likely be set financially for life.Would he take a pay cut if it meant he'd be back to running how he used to? The possibility is there.
I get it, its been a tough year.. but I don't wish bad on anyone and I feel for Lajoie. I like to laugh and make jokes about how he always wrecks people and adds a bit of an exciting chaos factor to the races. But as a person, a father, a husband.. I really hope whatever his future holds for him is ultimately a happier place for him.
My guess is Gainbridge made Spire's decision to move LaJoie out of the car. They invested a lot of money in the team and want to get a lot more performance out of it. There are still a lot of drivers on the free agency market, and now is the best time in several years to pick a driver who you feel has a lot of potential. Will it be Kyle Busch or will it be another driver that they can build their future around? I could see them going either way.
Zane Smith is young but Talented Driver & will improve if give a seasoned crew chef & car that can run up front
Lajoie was a great story teller for the cup series a PR masterpiece for NASCAR. I hope he finds a ride
Trackhouse Racing:
1 - Ross Chastain
91 - Corey LaJoie (PT)
97 - Shane van Gisbergen (R)
99 - Daniel Suárez
Team Penske:
2 - Austin Cindric
12 - Ryan Blaney
22 - Joey Logano
Richard Childress Racing:
3 - Austin Dillon
8 - Austin Hill (R)
33 - Will Brown (RC), Ty Dillon
Hendrick Motorsports:
5 - Kyle Larson
9 - Chase Elliott
24 - William Byron
48 - Alex Bowman
RFK Racing:
6 - Brad Keselowski
17 - Chris Biescher
60 - Ryan Preece, Riley Herbst, Harrison Burton
Spire Motorsports:
7 - Kyle Busch
71 - Michael McDowell
77 - Carson Hocevar
Joe Gibbs Racing:
11 - Denny Hamlin
19 - Chase Briscoe
20 - Christopher Bell
54 - Ty Gibbs
Kaulig Racing:
13 - A. J. Allmendinger (RC), Josh Williams (SS)
16 - Multiple Drivers
31 - Daniel Hemric
Rick Ware Racing:
15 - Kaz Grala (25), Cody Ware (9), Riley Herbst (2)
51 - Justin Haley
Wood Brothers Racing:
21 - Josh Berry
23XI Racing:
23 - Bubba Wallace
45 - Tyler Reddick
67 - Corey Heim (R)
89 - Martin Truex Jr., Kamui Kobayashi
Front Row Motorsports:
34 - Noah Gragson
36 - Zane Smith
38 - Todd Gilliland
Haas Factory Team:
41 - Cole Custer
Legacy Motor Club:
42 - John Hunter Nemechek
43 - Erik Jones
84 - Jimmie Johnson (PT)
How Great it would be for Front Row to have a team made up of Todd, Noah & Zane Smith
I mean Gragson is reuniting as teamates with Gilliland from when they were in KBM together and Zane reuniting with FRM
Smoking some good stuff if you think any team will hire Corey LaPew. His Nascar days in any series i think are OVER and good ridden 😂 I'll add you must be drinking some moonshine if you think any Cup team will hire Ryan Preece. Back to the minor leagues for him. There's too much good talent out there for Cup teams to waste any time on these 2 guys.
If Corey Heim out performs Bubba next season... I think Bubba might be a free agent!
@@seanscorsonellibean2153 Preece also has never been in top equipment either in the Cup Series, LaJoie idk what will happen to him just a guess because Trackhouse gives guys oppurtunities too
Hocevar’s 15.6 average finish in the 77 is absurdly impressive!
I get Spire is improving, but that car was a back marker with Dillon and Bilicki/Cassil. And he’s just a 21 year old rookie. I’m actually kinda hoping Hocevar pairs up with Childers. Lambert is incredible with young drivers, but Rodney Childers has a HOF resume and he may be able to tap into Carson’s potential more than anyone in the sport. Maybe the 7 goes to a young guy that can work with Luke.
It was kinda writing on the wall with McDowell signing there that they wouldn’t bring LaJoie back. They’ll probably move Hocevar to the 7 and have Zayn Smith in the lineup still would be good. LaJoie can outrun lower mid pack cars, but can’t with mid to top tier equipment
Saw this on the NASCAR app. Immediately started looking for videos on it.
Kyle Busch to spire, I’ve been calling it since the spring of this year! It’s would be crazy if that happens!
Great job, for helping to build a nascar youtube community. I can't get enough.
Childers/McDowell would be amazing!! I’d settle for Childers/Bush though. Lol.
This morning NASCAR sent out marketing emails featuring a meet and greet with Corey in the #7 next year, this really must have came out of left field.
Wasn’t expecting to see something like this today.
You know Eric, you got me thinking... Busch to Spire would be awesome. Move Austin Hill up to run the 8. He fits the family restaurant / rough bourbon sponsor vibe. What's that? Lajoie to the 21 (Xfinity) at RCR? Finally a top tier ride that he can wheel the hell out of. But there's something lurking... What about Busch and Childers spearheading Honda's entrance to NASCAR? Especially with possible buy in from Andretti. What a great way for Busch and Childers to finish their chapter before retirement.
(Honda to Toyota) Sorry you guys couldn't find sponsorship for Kyle. Don't worry, we have plenty!
On the Rodney Childers to Spire announcement on Twitter, it only says he's crew chiefing the #7 car, not Cory LaJoie.
Randy Lajoie is at North Georgia Sppedway tonight, trying to sell seats. My son works for a team that uses his seats and he saw it and stopped to chat. Randy said Corey asked him what he should do after the team gave him a $1M and said bye. He said, "Go on vacation."
This move don’t surprise me either. Does anyone remember that show race for the championship I think it was called? There was this this scene where Lajoe tried taking over working in the car for the engineers. It was so cringe and you can see the engineers pissed if faces at him lol. Makes me think the team hasn’t liked him for a long time now.
Straight to Brazil believe it or not.
Oh wait... that's Daniel Suarez. He is going to race in the Nascar Brazil series during the Olympic break.
I think we all knew Corey was going to be on the Hot Seat next year. There was a big question mark on whether or not he was going to be able to handle the pressure, but I did expect to see him in the 7 car in 25. I do feel bad for Corey, he seem like a good dude and likeable guy, but I understand Spire position.
@stevemansfield3449 I respect Corey cause I watch his dad back in the early 90s hopely he gets a Good ride and then Spire will regret letting him go
Corey has been close to winning before it just didn't go his way I'm not a fan of his But I still would like to see him win a race It's always nice when an underdog can get a win against the big teams.
I thought he would’ve stayed another year though
Slow clap applause for SPIRE! Glad they made the change!
If KFB goes to spire, I will throw a party! We are so back rowdy nation!
Can you make a video regarding all the silly season changes coming in 2025 regarding each ride and if the ride has not been filled who may or most likely fills that seat?
NASCAR Busts: Corey Lajoie?
No because he literally came out of nowhere. A bust is someone who was expected to be great but never pannned out
@@Pointlesscrap-lu5vi still a Bust any way you look at it.. you can say this or that.... a Bust is still a bust
@@Pointlesscrap-lu5vi thats why I put it in question form, I honestly wanted to know. I’m on the fence myself
I'm not so sure on Kyle Busch, if only because they are in a bind and I don't mean on track. Dillon is likely gone after 2025 and Jesse Love needs a decent mentor to break into Cup
As to Childers, definitely pair him with McDowell. As soon as that 34 won the 500, that team found their stride and are now a Tier 1 Ford partner. I can't say if he can build Spire the same way given HMS, RCR, and Trackhouse already have that distinction...then again if you told me Front Row would replace SHR four years ago I'd think an asteroid hit their factory
I saw an hour before Corey said he would not return to Spire. Spire FB made a post about Kyle. Does that mean something?
I am curious this might be off topic but I want to know what is the status of NASCAR Characters for 2025 does anyone know??
This makes a lot of sense considering Spire hired Rodney Childers to be crew chief of the 7. What a waste that signing would be if Lajoie was still the driver.
I see them keeping Zane Smith in the 71 and pairing McDowell and Childers in the 7. That could be a winning combination.
Is it possible that McDowell goes to the 7, and Zane Smith stays with Spire another year in the 71. Then Trackhouse can promote SVG to cup in the 97 if they end up with one of the SHR charters.
Honestly Corey should go down to the Trucks or Xfinity series. Maybe sign with a team that can have him actually contend for nascar wins.
i seen this coming and Rodney better realize this is the kind of people he’s working for now.
saw
I had a feeling that this was going to happen when they announced the crew chief change for the 7. maybe he ends up welding seats next year.
I am not surprised if we are to be honest. Spire is trying to become a contender and sadly Lajoie has not shown the ability to assist in the vision. The last few weeks shows that this has already been in the works from the way that he started driving on the track
@@FrontstretchFan Absolutely. This year seems forced and angry from him as a driver. I mean. There is pain in his statement. I know he isn't the best driver out there but hopefully dude can get a seat somewhere with a better environment around him
I kind of thought Corey would do well if anyone would take a chance on him. Like when he wrote HMS for the 48... I think he just needs teammates and equipment to lean on and he could be a star. If anything, he could be a Chastain type driver (able to win and compete for win and top 5s).
two words for ya KYLE BUSCH
Dang im bummed for Lajoie. I figured next year would be the make or break season for him. Im curious if he'll take another ride or call it a day on the track.
It's like christmas morning in the middle of july
Zane Smith stays in 71. McDowell to 7. SVG to trackhouse. That's the cheapest option. But I want KFB over there bad
Wild, also what is your favourite Roller Coaster if I might ask
Hmm... as far as pure roller coasters go I'll say Velocicoaster
@@EricEsteppnice, we have to live with its smaller brother here in Europe;)
Corey would make a great XFINITY lifer or Truck lifer, it'll be like Custer stepping down to XFINITY from Cup, instant championship contender if he's in a good team.
Am I the only one sad to see lajoie gone
And eric, very important question
Trix or apple jacks
I’m very sad but think he will get a xfinity ride. Apple Jacks. Trix just don’t do it for me
apple jacks
yk I was rooting for him because he sported the 7 back in 2021, but since the atlanta loss he's been downhill in my personal opinion
Corey has been so important for that team. Yeah Carson is ahead of him in the points but they don’t have really good cars. LaJoie has definitely struggled the past couple of months. Now we know which car McDowell will be driving with which crew chief. With Carson doing pretty good, where would Kyle Busch go at Spire? The other car is Trackhouse and Zane. This is pretty crappy for Corey at this time of year. Maybe second car for Haas in Xfinity?
Two questions in my mind:
! - Can Spire afford to buy out Kyle's contract as I would expect Childress to ask a premium price?
2 - Can Spire afford a 40 year old driver on the downside of his career that makes 10 - 15 MILLION dollars a year?
While not ever a Kyle Busch fan, do enjoy watching him race as he is an ultimate competitor that will also make other racers better
Kyle Busch to the 7 and RCR has an open seat is my guess
KFB to the 7, most likely Austin Hill to the 8.
I expect he'll probably stick around in the sport in some capacity, but I don't see him finding another seat in the Cup series. I think everyone's given LaJoie as much of the benefit of the doubt as they're inclined to. Even when Spire started to get their act together, he still proved to be the weak link.
Guys will see this and say “hell yeah”. As a Kyle Busch fan, IM HAPPIER THEN A TORNADO IN A TRAILER PARK YEEHAW
Right on !!!
I’d LOVE to see the first live comments from Kyle after taking Corey’s seat. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Smart move would be to put McDowell and Childers together in the 7.
Yup. This.
Or Kyle Busch drives the 7 with Childers as cc
yes i also this would be good
@@user-ed1yx2fq7lhope not
I have a feeling this move was only done because Spire has already had go ahead or the talks with someone else thats lead to a contract and the seat is filled already. If I guess I say either they worked out a deal to buy out someone else's contract and have them to replace Corey whether that is Zane, Busch, or someone else. Zane could happen since there is no space for him in the Trackhouse stable. Busch could happen because they paid RC enough and Childress wants to move Austin Hill up. Those 2 seem the most likely to fill the seat.
I don’t think Corey’s been done dirty at all. He’s been terrible all year, and Pocono didn’t help that case. Hocevar has outrun him. Hocevar, a rookie. Zane Smith has also started outrunning him. Another rookie. Hate to say it. Corey’s overrated.
Facts
LaJoie has been awful for months. Not surprising. I posted in his podcast comments a few weeks back that he needed to stop overdriving his equipment and causing wrecks.
💯
Cory LaJoie to FrontRow?
Corey will be cutting it up in the back half of the truck field next season with Ty Dillon or the middle third of the xfinity grid with Matty D.
He is the second coming off Dibenedetto
It’s unexpected, but he needed to go.
Boy Eric I like your take on Busch to Spire with Childers maybe they do a driver swap Lajoie to the number 8. This is exactly why they call it silly season keep up the great work bud
Spire right now: Were not stacking pennies were stacking talent, Kyle Busch is ours now.
Justice is served !! STACKING L’s
I think this is more Corey's idea
I saw that one coming !
@@marckerns22 I highly doubt teams are lining up to to sign the new wrecky spinhouse
Something tells me that there could've been something behind the scenes between Lajoie & Spire that could've also led to this decision. With how sudden this is, it's not something that should be overlooked
“Time to learn Chinese, buddy! NI HAO! NI HAO! NI HAO!”
-Spire to LaJoie
Please make your comment make sense.
@@johnlafever3162Get ready to learn NY RACING!!!!!
@@BraydenBunch58 New York racing is Chinese racing? That makes no sense! Spire is funded by Gainbridge, a sports sponsoring LLC that is an arm of an Illinois and Delaware Insurance giant!
Great podcast. Umm, I think your hunch that soemthing is very odd about this announcement is spot on. You have enough experience to know how it normally works and how it works when it is abnormal. This is abnormal. Not going to hazard a guess. However, I really hope Corey lands on his feet. A super nice person and a great ambassador for the sport. He should be proud of what he has done on and off the track. It would be so ironic of he wins a race or has a string of top finishes before the season is out. That I would like to see.
About time they did that
Big fan of Corey both in and out of the car… hope this just opens another door.
Imagine if LaJoie goes to a 23XI 3rd charter
That's most likely herbst
what a wet joke just saying
@TheGoldenShot11 he's not cup series ready
Never going to happ
i would put heim there before anyone if it was me
I could see Corey getting with a good xfinty series team where he have equipment good enough that it show how good he really is