Corey LaJoie will drive Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 in place of the suspended Chase Elliott in the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Hendrick announced May 30.
Hendrick made the announcement shortly after news of Elliott’s one-race suspension broke.
“We are grateful to Corey for stepping in and to the team at Spire Motorsports for making him available,” a Hendrick spokesperson said in a release.
LaJoie moves to the No. 9 from Spire’s No. 7, which he races full time in the Cup Series.
Replacing LaJoie in the No. 7, meanwhile, is Carson Hocevar, who will make his Cup debut.
Hocevar competes for Spire part time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving its No. 77. In three Xfinity starts, all in 2023, he has two top 10s, both of which came with Spire.
He competes full time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Niece Motorsports, earning one win, four top fives and five top 10s so far in 2023.
LaJoie has one top five and one top 10 in 2023, his best result a fourth-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Elliott has made eight Cup starts in 2023 after missing multiple races at the start of the season due to injury. He has two top fives and four top 10s.
Elliott’s one-race suspension came after his No. 9 clipped the right rear of Denny Hamlin‘s No. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a move Hamlin deemed intentional. Both cars were wrecked in the ensuing accident.
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