$10M-worth Michael McDowell's Spire Motorsports move gets stamp of approval from Corey Lajoie: "Certainly an asset for the team"

Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie is looking forward to veteran Michael McDowell joining the team next season.

Long-time Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell announced his departure from the team earlier this week. McDowell, who has competed in over 200 races piloting the No. 34 Ford for FRM, confirmed that he will leave the team at the end of the season.

As speculations arose about his next destination, it was confirmed shortly after by Spire Motorsports that the 39-year-old driver has signed a multi-year contract with the team, starting 2025. The 2021 Daytona 500 winner, who is worth $10 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth) will embark on a new chapter in his racing career come next season.

With the announcement being officially confirmed, Corey LaJoie, driver for Spire Motorsports's No. 7 Chevy, was asked his thoughts on the move. Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, the 32-year-old said:

"I've known Michael for a long time. We've probably had one of the better relationships that I had with any other drivers in the garage. So, I kind of knew, the conversations were already happening, and was kind of in the loop as it progressed."

"So, I'm excited for him, and the group that's going to come with, they're going to certainly be an asset to the team."

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Reviewing Corey LaJoie's career at Spire Motorsports so far

Corey Lajoie, son of two-time Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, jumped ships from the now-defunct Go Fas Racing to Spire Motorsports in 2021. His performances at the team have included notable top-5 finishes in Atlanta, Texas, and Daytona.

Alongside LaJoie also leaped his Go Fas crew chief Ryan Sparks. The 32-year-old signed a two-year contract with Spire before penning a multi-year renewal last season.

2023 also saw Corey LaJoie register an interesting record. The No. 7 Chevy driver was the only driver to avoid a DNF for the entirety of last season. His streak, which lasted for 44 races, came to an end at Phoenix Raceway earlier this year when LaJoie was engulfed in a multi-car crash with Joey Logano and John Hunter Nemechek.

LaJoie kicked off his 2024 season with an impressive fourth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 race. However, the Charlotte, North Carolina native has failed to inspire since then, and finds himself at 30th position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has 166 points to his name after 12 races.