Getty Corey LaJoie will have a new partner for the Coca-Cola 600.
The No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro will have a new look for a Crown Jewel event. The NASCAR Cup Series team and Corey LaJoie have joined forces with AeroVanti.
Spire Motorsports announced the news with a press release and showcased the new look for LaJoie’s Chevrolet Camaro. The No. 7 will feature a multi-colored scheme that matches the design of the private aviation company’s aircraft as LaJoie attempts to complete all 600 Miles of Remembrance at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Spire and @CoreyLaJoie partner with @AeroVanti for @NASCAR‘s Coca-Cola 600 at @CLTMotorSpdwy. U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Bourgeois, Commanding Officer of SEAL Team 8, will be honored as part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” Program. Learn more: t.co/GwGNhB8HHH
“NASCAR’s Memorial Day weekend celebration is a flagship racing experience for our fans and one I always look forward to each season,” LaJoie said in a press release. “It’s a privilege to honor those who have sacrificed everything for our country. I’m thrilled to be representing AeroVanti and to honor Capt. Bourgeois for this marquee event.”
LaJoie Will Honor a Fallen Service Member at Charlotte Motor Speedway
GettyCorey LaJoie races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2022.
The press release announced the partnership between Spire Motorsports and AeroVanti. It also unveiled the name that will adorn the No. 7 as LaJoie races in honor of fallen service members.
Every time the NASCAR Cup Series drivers compete in the Coca-Cola 600, the most grueling race on the schedule, they put names on their stock cars honoring those who sacrificed their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
LaJoie will race in honor of U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Bourgeois, who served for 20 years and earned several military members. The list includes the Bronze Star with Valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Commendation Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and a NATO Medal.
A Commanding Officer of SEAL Team 8, Capt. Bourgeois died in a training incident in December 2021. He was promoted to Captain posthumously by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in October 2022.
As part of the 600 Miles of Remembrance program, NASCAR will recognize Capt. Bourgeois’ family while LaJoie races with his name on the No. 7’s windshield. Members of SEAL Team 8 will also attend the race on behalf of the family.
LaJoie’s Second Cup Series Start Took Place at Charlotte Motor Speedway
GettyCorey LaJoie waits during qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
A veteran driver, LaJoie made his Cup Series debut during the 2014 season. His first start took place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as he drove for Randy Humphrey Racing. His second was at Charlotte Motor Speedway as he finished 35th in the 43-car field.
LaJoie has made nine starts at the Concord track during his Cup Series career, and he has finished seven events. An engine issue disrupted his race in 2017 and then a crash ended his day early in 2022.
LaJoie has three top-20 finishes at Charlotte Motor Speedway, headlined by a 12th-place finish in 2019 as he drove for Go Fas Racing. He also posted consecutive 19th-place finishes in 2020 and 2021.
LaJoie will now return to the track amid a season in which he has secured five top-20 finishes in eight starts. He has avoided the DNFs that plagued the No. 7 team throughout the 2022 season, and he has performed consistently while continuing the pursuit of his first career win.