Corey LaJoie’s father Randy LaJoie shares comical instance when being named in NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers’ list

Corey LaJoie's father, Randy, admitted to feeling surprised when NASCAR named him one of the 75 Greatest Drivers of all time. The older LaJoie didn't expect to be on the shortlist for “pissing off” the sanctioning body, presumably referring to the 2010 smoking incident.

In June 2010, Randy LaJoie was suspended for violating NASCAR's substance-abuse policy after smoking marijuana with fans around the time of the Coca-Cola 600. He was tested after signing up as a spotter for Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) program. ESPN also suspended him from his racing analyst duties.

Recalling the moment he was named one of the 75 Greatest Drivers in the stock car racing series two years ago, the former NASCAR driver had a funny response to Rick Benjamin on RaceLine:

“I really thought I pissed them off a few times. I was quite surprised... and very honored.” [0:20]

Corey LaJoie's father also touched on his Hall of Fame nomination in the Class of 2026, saying:

“It's no small task. You don't go into it when you're 18 because I had to wait until I'm 18 to start. I never thought I was going to be in the Hall of Fame.” [0:39] “Growing up, you see the guys... I'm going to the racetrack. I see the black jackets and the Hall of Fame guys. I was like, ‘That guy's an old racer. That guy's an older racer. That guy's an old racer.’ Now I got one of those jackets, and I'm one of those old racers,” he added.

Randy LaJoie was nominated in the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 along with 14 other nominees, including Kurt Busch. He had more success in the Xfinity Series, scoring two championships (1996 and 1997) and winning 15 races in two decades of competition.

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“I think that I cared too much”: Corey LaJoie on new perspective after becoming a broadcaster with Prime Video

Like Randy LaJoie, Corey LaJoie has become a TV analyst for NASCAR. The younger LaJoie revealed that his five-race stint with Prime Video changed his perspective on racing, saying he should've enjoyed more rather than caring too much.

The now part-time NASCAR Cup Series driver said (via Speedsport):

“Before this opportunity to see the race from a TV perspective, I would feel like if I wasn’t running well, then I was letting a lot of people down. I think that I cared too much, and I would hold the outcome too tightly, as opposed to just enjoying it when I was doing it.”

Corey LaJoie during the 2025 FireKeepers Casino 400 - Source: Getty

His broadcasting stint with Prime Video ran between the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono. Corey LaJoie was part of the pre- and post-race studio show alongside Carl Edwards and Danielle Trotta.

The 2024 NASCAR season marks his last full-time schedule in the Cup Series, which he ran with Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing through a mid-season swap. He currently competes in a limited schedule for RWR in the #01 Ford.

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Edited by Rupesh