Corey LaJoie — currently a part-time driver for Rick Ware Racing in the Cup Series — is back in the NASCAR playoff fold and will race the Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 for the rest of the 2025 ARCA Menards Truck season.

Incumbent driver Andres Perez de Lara, 20, signed a deal with Niece Motorsports in the middle of his breakout campaign. He’s not currently in playoff position: Spire will transfer the points from their No. 7 truck to the No. 77.

Earlier in the year, Kyle Larson piloted the No. 7 to a Truck Series victory in Homestead, earning a spot in the playoffs along the way. Lajoie, 33, will not get a shot to drive in the postseason for the first time in his career.

“The team will compete as a three-truck operation for the remainder of the 2025 campaign, fielding the Nos. 7, 71, and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in pursuit of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owner’s and driver’s titles,” Spire confirmed in a statement on Monday.

LaJoie has six career Truck Series races to his name, posting a pair of top-10 showings. He boasts 11 top 10 finishes in 275 career Cup Series races (but none this year in his four contests for Rick Ware). Driving for Spire, LaJoue finished fifth in the 2025 DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 held in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Perez has three career top-10s across his young Truck Series career, including two this campaign. He most recently finished 21st in the Mission 176 at The Glen at Watkins Glen in upstate New York.

“Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future,” Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony said of the news.

“While we haven’t finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond.”

Perez spoke on his move in a statement for Niece Motorsports. “Overall, I’m really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports,” he admitted.

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“Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. I’m really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well.”

There are only two more weeks in the regular season. Time to update the NASCAR Power Rankings after Watkins Glen. Cup Series drivers are looking to either win a race to make the playoffs or are hoping to add more playoff points before Darlington.

Shane van Gisbergen set a NASCAR record with his fourth win of the season as a rookie. He is the first driver to win four road course races in a single season, as well.

However, there were many other performances this weekend that separated drivers from one another. An update to the NASCAR Power Rankings as we get ready to go to Richmond.

1. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-)

In his last four races, Ryan Blaney has had four top-10s, two stage wins, and a pole award. His speed is on dispaly each week. It feels like his next win could be right around the corner.

Blaney is still leading Team Penske this season. He has been the best driver in the group and that continues in this week’s NASCAR Power Rankings.

2. Chase Briscoe – Joe Gibbs Racing (+3)

Another top-five for Chase Briscoe and this 19 team is on a roll. Briscoe has three P2 finishes and a P5 in the last five races.

Every week this team brings a fast car to the track. They will probably win more pole awards sooner than later, too. Another win shouldn’t be far away.

3. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (+4)

How about this?! William Byron now looks like himself again. P1 and P4 the last two weeks, Byron appears to have shaken that summer slump he was in.

Leading the point standings by 42 over Chase Elliott, Byron has a great chance to finish the regular season off with a championship. He moves up big time in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

4. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing (+4)

How about the month that Bubba Wallace has been having lately? P7, P1, P6, and P8 in the last four races has Wallace looking in top form going into the playoffs.

After backing up his win at Indy with two solid races, Wallace moves up in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Can 23XI Racing make some noise in the postseason?

5. Ryan Preece – RFK Racing (+1)

Another week, another solid race from Ryan Preece. He had speed but managed a P13 finish in the end.

RFK Racing has two more chances to win this regular season. Can Preece deliver the organizaiton a win and his first career victory at Richmond?

6. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (-4)

A few top drivers had poor performances at Watkins Glen. P26 for Chase Elliott has him dropping in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

This is more the result of rewarding the drivers who had great days at Watkins Glen. Elliott is still one of the best in the series, but his last three races have been lackluster to say the least.

7. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (+2)

Still searching for another win, Christopher Bell had a P2 finish to SVG at Watkins Glen. Not bad considering the dominant day from the Kiwi.

Bell has to get more consistent. He has been bouncing bck and forth between great finishes and mediocre ones.

8. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-5)

P24 and P25 the last two weeks, Denny Hamlin has to fall in the NASCAR Power Rankings this week. He was great at Indy and Dover, but struggled in the last two races.

Hamlin has been having a great season. Can he get back on track and make a strong playoff run?

9. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-5)

Even worse than Hamlin, Kyle Larson finished P28 and P39. To his credit, he had the fastest lap of the race on Sunday. But that’s not much comfort for Larson and his team.

The NASCAR Power Rankings have Larson in the bottom. But it won’t be for long until he’s back on top of the series.

10. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (-)

I wish I could move Tyler Reddick up again after a good race at Watkins Glen, but he didn’t impress, really. It was a rather timid P9 finish.

23XI Racing would like to see Reddick produce the results that Bubba Wallace has had recently. Can the 45 get things together in the next two weeks?

JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch escaped with only a broken collarbone after falling hard from his No. 88 Chevrolet in victory lane while preparing to celebrate his victory after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International.

He was put onto a stretcher, taken to the infield care center, and then taken to a local hospital, where CT scans were clear and indicated no head injury.

All things considered, the collarbone fracture being the only significant development here was a blessing, as the worst-case scenario was avoided from a total freak accident that absolutely nobody would have ever seen coming.

Now for the question everybody is asking: when is Connor Zilisch coming back?

Zilisch was supposed to compete in Sunday’s Cup race at Watkins Glen with Trackhouse Racing, ahead of an expected full-time Cup announcement for 2026, but that obviously didn’t happen.

No two injuries are alike. But generally speaking, most people recover from a broken collarbone in six to eight weeks.

And for whatever it’s worth, children often recover quicker than that (three to four weeks); Zilisch only just turned 19.

In any event, as long as Zilisch does actually return in 2025, it’s hard to see him not being granted a playoff waiver. And for that reason, you could argue that, if this injury was ever going to happen, it happened at the best possible time.

The Xfinity Series has off next week before three weekends in a row of races at Daytona International Speedway, Portland International Raceway, and World Wide Technology Raceway to close out the regular season. So the playoffs aren’t scheduled to begin for another five weekends at Bristol Motor Speedway.

But even after the first playoff race at Bristol, the Xfinity Series has another weekend off before the next race at Kansas Speedway.

That race, from now, is just under seven weeks away.

Zilisch, who has already been granted one playoff waiver after missing the race at Texas Motor Speedway with a back injury, leads all drivers with 36 playoff points.

Only one other driver has more than eight, and even if the Charlotte, North Carolina native misses the rest of the regular season, he is poised to earn at least seven or eight more based on his points finish. He is the current points leader, and it’s hard to see him falling more than maybe two or three spots, even if he’s done for the regular season.

He could very well miss the first playoff race at Bristol and still enter Kansas well above the cut line, and that’s if you assume a seven-week recovery.

Again, no two injuries are alike. We have no idea when Zilisch will be back. I’m sure he’d like to be back for Daytona, and let’s be clear: he technically hasn’t even been ruled out of that race yet.

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Hendrick Motorsports stars Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have both responded to rumors that they have an ongoing beef.

The NASCAR rumor mill was in full swing last week after multiple collisions between the Hendrick Motorsports teammates at Iowa Speedway had Larson throwing a ton of profanity at his team radio channel.

It was a miserable afternoon for Larson as he eventually finished 28th, but that contact with Elliott was only part of the reason for his troubles.

Both drivers were asked about any fallout from Iowa when they rocked up at Watkins Glen over the weekend, and both were quick to try and stop things getting out of hand.

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm Kyle Larson demotion after Watkins Glen nightmare

Larson on Elliott

Larson claimed: “Everybody’s making a big deal about Chase. I really wasn’t that mad at Chase, and too, after seeing the replays and stuff, I was less frustrated.

“I move on from things quickly. I don’t really even think that there was a need for a conversation. I’ve ran into him way more, so no, I’m all good and moved on from it.”

Larson emphasized that Elliott was not the main reason for his frustration, adding: “It wasn’t what I thought it was from the seat. I was less frustrated with him than I was others. It was just everything kind of compiled and I was trying to keep my cool and then I just exploded.”

READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series star issues retirement verdict after huge official announcement

Elliott responds

Elliott was surprised to be even asked about any fallout, telling media: “I didn’t know there was any issue, honestly. I just feel like we were going for the same gap at the same time. I didn’t think any of that was intentional, either way.

“So yeah, I haven’t felt the need [to talk to Larson]. If we need to talk, we will, I’m sure. But we haven’t had any issues.”

Sunday at Watkins Glen did not go much better for the superstar teammates, as Elliott finished 26th and Larson 39th. The race was won in dominant fashion by New Zealand’s road-course superstar Shane van Gisbergen.

READ MORE: NASCAR team facing multiple penalties after Watkins Glen incident

Related

The NASCAR driver fell when he stood on the top of his car in victory lane at Watkins Glen International; Suffering a broken bone

Smash! That was the sound of Connor Zilisch slamming head first to the concrete in victory lane on Saturday after his NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen International.

He slipped on the window net and his foot was trapped inside the car as he took a step on the roof of the car in victory lane. The race winner was knocked out and the celebrations turned completely silent.

Connor Zilisch falls unconscious after NASCAR win (Video)

Zilisch was placed on a stretcher along with a neck brace. He was taken to the ambulance and later transported to a local hospital.

He checked out of the hospital later that day with a broken collar bone. He was cleared on all the other scans.

The driver returned to the track the next day for the NASCAR Cup Series race. And he was told by a Cup Series driver that NASCAR had introduced new victory lane rules to them in the drivers’ meeting…

Connor Zilisch comments

“The last thing I remember is thinking, I don’t know why but I thought I was going to break my femur,” Connor Zilisch stated via the Door Bumper Clear podcast on Monday.

“My leg was stuck. I thought I was going to get caught in the headrest and just, I thought I was done.”

“Apparently, the first thing I said when I came back to life and was resurrected, I was talking to the medics like, ‘I’m good. I’m good.’ Like, ‘My shoulder hurts a little but but that’s it.’ “

“They’re like, ‘No. We’re putting you on the stretcher.’ I’m in this neck brace and I’m getting pulled away on the stretcher.”

“The first words that came out of my mouth there were legitimate were, ‘God, everyone’s going to think I’m a (expletive).’ “

“I was like, ‘Why am I on a stretcher right now? I feel fine.’ I didn’t realize what had happened.”

Without the race winning driver, the victory lane photo shoot was canceled.

“I was going to go to victory lane when I was at the track [Sunday] and take a picture in victory lane. But, I didn’t.”

“I’m not going to name names, but a driver, we were at the airport and he goes, ‘Yeah, in our pre-race meeting today, the competition director said that if we win, we can’t stand on the car anymore.’ “

Zilisch added, “It was like a new rule for them. I’ve killed celebrations.”

Watch the video of the fall here

Connor Zilisch comments on his recovery and the timeline for a return

Links

Connor Zilisch | Watkins Glen International | NASCAR