LaJoie gambled his own money to secure a coveted Daytona 500 ride

LaJoie placed his own money on the table, risking it all just for another chance of competing in NASCAR's 'Great American Race.'

Corey LaJoie's NASCAR career looked to be reaching a conclusion at the end of the 2024 season when he was booted from his full-time ride at Spire mid-year before running the remaining races with Rick Ware Racing. There was no promise of a deal for 2025 or beyond.

On Thursday, though, the third-generation racer earned a spot to make his ninth consecutive appearance in the Daytona 500. And getting there was far from easy. Placing his trust in fate, LaJoie made one of the biggest gambles of his life. He knew the second RWR entry was without a driver for NASCAR's biggest race and whoever put up the money first would be the one to get the seat. So, he fronted his own money, joking it was from his kid's college fund, to "make sure nobody else got the car because I know this car is one of the more desirable [open cars] to drive," and began preparations in hope to qualify for his big-bet event.

All for a chance

It was a nervous time for LaJoie with no guaranteed spot in the race and no sponsor a month out from the event. "I was probably dumb enough to let my chips ride on the table and try to make this race on my own dime," continued LaJoie. "But luckily for me, (sponsors) DuraMAX and Take 5 came in at the last minute and took me off the hook.

Corey LaJoie, Rick Ware Racing Ford

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

"I felt like the last four months of my life in general with some doors shutting that I was praying to get shut and doors opening that I was praying to get opened," explained LaJoie. "Some of the ones that I didn't anticipate getting opened. I felt like the Lord has been in every step. [I] was at peace with letting that amount of money go as a bit of a faith tester," said LaJoie. "It was like every day for weeks, and it got down to the 11th hour, right, and He delivered that sponsor. I don't think it's coincidence. I think that that partnership was meant to be."

His biggest fight, though, was still ahead of him by racing his way into the 500, unlikely to be able to fall back on his qualifying time where he was the fourth-fastest of the nine open cars. LaJoie ran a perfect race during Duel 2 and crossed the line, unchallenged in sixth, meaning he will start 12th in this Sunday's Daytona 500. Everything after that is a bonus now, and LaJoie even hinted at more potential starts at tracks such as Atlanta and Bristol.

"I'm not sure what the future holds quite yet, but I'm excited that the first box we set out to check was coming down here and making the Great American Race, and that's what we did," added LaJoie.

The veteran racer finished fourth in last year's Daytona 500 and what a story it would be if after 272 Cup races without a win, he earned his first in race where it took blind faith and the gamble of a lifetime just to be part of the show.