Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Media Availability — The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Corey LaJoie is filling in for the injured Brad Keselowski tonight in the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, driving the No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RFK Racing. LaJoie came to the infield media center before practice to talk about the opportunity.
COREY LAJOIE, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DO YOU VIEW THIS OPPORTUNITY? “I think it’s house money. I was gonna be a carbon guy, still working on that and still working on standing up a business over there at dad’s shop. Just when I was almost not content per se, but starting to grasp the idea that the window is closed being a race car driver then this opportunity arose. I hate it for Brad. I saw him yesterday and he’s as sharp as he’s ever been. He’s getting around well, so I’m excited for him to be back in the fold next week, but this opportunity has been awesome. I think there’s always pressure. If you don’t feel the pressure, then you don’t understand the gravity of what the opportunity is, and just to remind myself that I’ve been doing it for a long time and I’ve been doing it at a high level, so for those guys to tap me as the guy that can be in the 6 car and feel like I can do a good job is certainly an honor. It’s been cool to be in the mix and prep in the sim again, kind of knocking the rust off, but when the rubber hits the road here shortly hopefully we shake out pretty good.”
HAVE YOU HAD TO WRESTLE WITH OUR IDENTITY IN THIS SPORT, LIKE WHO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. WHERE HAVE YOU LANDED AT THIS STAGE AND WHAT DO YOU WANT THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE TO BE? “That’s a daily wrestle because it’s pretty straightforward when you’re chasing being a race car driver. If you rewind to 2012 when we won here in the ARCA car, the whole road map was more or less planned – you do whatever you could possibly do to be a Cup driver. To be a Cup winner and a Cup champion was the goal. I got close. I reached the top of the spear as I had hoped. I wish there was always more, but transitioning, not necessarily voluntarily, but transitioning to Prime, that group was unbelievable. I’m excited to run it back with those guys. I’m doing some truck stuff. Hanging out with my kids more. I’m trying to stand up a business. All of these things are learning experiences and ultimately it’s just taught me to hold things much looser of what I feel like I need to take my life and just honestly let the Lord take it. If that’s as a race car driver for the next couple weeks, great. I’m gonna give everything I’ve got to that opportunity, and if it’s the next thing, then I’ll just hold it loosely and just be present with every passing day because it is ever changing. It’s been fun. It’s been a confusing journey of sorts lately, but it’s been nice to have a central focus, whether it be this week preparing for the Clash or certainly next week for the 500 to really lock in and focus. In racing, your goals are really clear. It’s to prepare and do a better job than the next guy, and I’m glad I get to have that clear-cut goal for the next two weeks.”
WHEN YOU DRIVE THE 99 FOR THE 500, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING TWO OR THREE CARS WORKING TOGETHER ON A SUPERSPEEDWAY TO NOW HAVING FOUR GUYS WITH MULTIPLE SUPERSPEEDWAY WINNERS IN THAT GROUP? “It gives me a lot of confidence. I went down there with no friends and made the race as an Open car my first time. I went there last year with relatively no friends with Rick and we executed the Duels great and we made the race, so to have more or less a factory supported Ford car to try to make the race, and just strength in numbers is why RFK is doing it, and to have Brad and Chris and Ryan, all three, no matter how the Duels shake out, I feel like we’re gonna have some good backup to put ourselves in a good position, but we also can’t let our guard down. We’ve got to press and we’ve got to go attack to make sure we cover everybody else, but I know the guys at the shop, even today, are working on the 500 car to make sure that thing can go qualify in on speed on Wednesday night. I know that’s the priority for the team, but, for me, I go down there with all eyes focused on executing the details on Thursday night to be in the race.”
