Corey LaJoie has joined forces with Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing for this year’s Daytona Speedweeks festivities.
LaJoie, a 34-year-old native of Concord, North Carolina, will be piloting RFK Racing’s fourth entry, the No. 99 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry, sponsored by Trimble. He will attempt to enter the 2026 Daytona Speedweeks festivities at Daytona International Speedway as an open entry and earn a starting spot for this year’s 68th running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500.
To qualify for this year’s Daytona 500, LaJoie would have to be the highest-finishing open competitor at the conclusion of the Daytona 500 Qualifying session on February 11 or through one of two America 250 Florida Duel events on February 12.
The announcement comes as LaJoie, who last competed as a full-time competitor during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, is coming off part-time campaigns between the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series divisions. Between the campaigns, LaJoie made nine Truck starts with Spire Motorsports and four Cup starts with Rick Ware Racing. The latter series included LaJoie competing in the 67th running of the Daytona 500, where he finished 22nd after he was collected in a final-lap multi-car wreck while battling for the victory.
Should LaJoie qualify for this year’s Daytona 500 event, it would mark his 10th consecutive appearance in the Great American Race. It would also mark the first time that RFK Racing would field four entries in an event since the team’s rebranding in 2022.
LaJoie’s best result during his previous nine starts in the Daytona 500 is fourth, which occurred in 2024. LaJoie would also become the 10th competitor overall to notch a first Cup Series career victory in the Great American Race, should he achieve the feat in 2026.
“This is a dream come true to get an opportunity with RFK Racing at the Daytona 500,” Lajoie said in a released statement. “This is, without a doubt, the best car and opportunity I’ve had at Daytona. I’m grateful for the trust they’ve placed in me.”
The decision to field the No. 99 entry for LaJoie during the Daytona Speedweeks will mark a reunion for RFK Racing and the No. 99. It has competed with Roush Racing and Roush Fenway Racing from 1996 to 2014. During 19 years, the No. 99 achieved 39 victories (17 with Jeff Burton and 23 with Carl Edwards). The No. 99 had been sported by Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez over the previous five Cup seasons, capturing two wins in 2022 and 2024.
Before this year’s Daytona Speedweeks, LaJoie will compete in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1. He will field the entry as an interim competitor for his teammate and co-owner of RFK Racing, Brad Keselowski. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion from Rochester Hills, Michigan, is recovering from a broken leg he sustained during a skiing accident in mid-December. He is expected to recover in time to compete in this year’s Daytona 500. It will mark his 17th bid to win the event for the first time.
“From a competition standpoint, having a fourth car gives us and Ford Racing a better chance to win the Daytona 500,” Keselowski said. “It’s not just about adding another entry. Superspeedway racing is about cooperation and having an additional car allows us to be more effective in forming drafting alliances, controlling lanes, and putting ourselves in position when it matters most.”
The 2026 Daytona 500 Qualifying session will occur on February 11. The America 250 Florida Duel events are scheduled for February 12 and begin at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
The 68th running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 15 and will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.
