DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Corey LaJoie finished ninth in the Daytona 500 but Spire Motorsports treated it as a small victory. The team invested heavily over the winter on infrastructure as it readies for NASCAR to introduce the Next Gen car in 2022. Spire bought a shop, hired new employees and purchased cars and engines from NASCAR’s elite teams. LaJoie was given a three-year contract and his debut race was a resounding success. He and teammate Jamie McMurray notched the two fastest laps of the race and both scored top-10 finishes.
