By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visited the one-mile track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway this past weekend, a special track for both Go Fas Racing and the LaJoie family.
It may have been considered just the 20th event of the season for some, but for Corey LaJoie, his family and Go Fas Racing as a whole it holds much more meaning.
Go Fas Racing owner Archie St. Hilaire and his son Mason St. Hilaire who serves as the general manager for the team, all hail from the New England state of Maine.
Each year when the series heads to The Magic Mile, it’s special for the St. Hilaire’s.
Mason exclusively told Kickin’ The Tires, “It’s always great coming back to NH and racing at our home track on the circuit. This is where we started this journey as a small team racing out of a garage in Maine and now to be running against the best teams in NASCAR, it’s all very nostalgic.”
The track is equally special to third-generation racer, Corey LaJoie and his family who originate from the state of Connecticut.
“When we come to Connecticut, anytime we see Loudon on the schedule we try to bring our best effort being my family roots are in Connecticut as well as Archie’s are in Maine”, LaJoie told Kickin’ The Tires.
LaJoie’s Pepere (Grandfather), Don LaJoie is no stranger to racing as the elder LaJoie ruled the Danbury Racearena in Connecticut and is a member of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
Danbury became a track where LaJoie would win five championships and set a record for victories with 58 feature wins before the famed track closed in 1981.
(Photos: The LaJoie Family)
Don LaJoie would do all that despite missing two years to go compete in NASCAR in the Modified Series.
He would go on to race at tracks such as Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Pocono Raceway as well as other well-known tracks on the East Coast.
Racing until the 1980’s, LaJoie would still remain close to the sport, as his son two-time NASCAR Busch Series Champion (1996 & 1997), Randy LaJoie competed in NASCAR.
Randy LaJoie himself would win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the current closest track on the NASCAR schedule to the LaJoie’s home state of Connecticut.
That victory would take place on July 12, 1996 during the NASCAR Busch Series, Stanley 200.
A race where Randy’s son and currently MENCS driver, Corey LaJoie was just four years old.
Fast forward to the 2016 season when Corey was competing in the K&N Pro Series East and he himself would also find victory at The Magic Mile on July 16, 2016.
LaJoie would win the United Site Services 70, twenty-years to the week that his father won at the same track.
This past Sunday, LaJoie raced in the Foxwoods 301 from NHMS, with his Go Fas Racing team owners and his own family, Pepere Don included by his side.
(Photo: LeeAnn Egolf)
Before taking the green flag in Sunday’s 301-lap event, LaJoie shared his fondest memory of NHMS with Kickin’ The Tires.
“My fondest memory is probably coming here for my first time and competing for the win. This was my first ever big track that I raced on growing up and coincidentally in that race I wrecked the car that Archie owned for the win.”
“It’s funny that it’s come full circle and we’re together on the same team this event, this weekend.”
LaJoie went on to address the most challenging thing about racing at The Magic Mile, “Obviously the struggles of Loudon are tough because it is a very fast short track, so it is just one groove that’s hard to pass and you need aero grip as much as you need mechanical grip.”
With local sponsor Weir’s Buick GMC on board, as well as Adirondack Tree Surgeons, LaJoie qualified his No. 32 Ford to a 29th starting spot on the grid.
(Photo: Sarah Handy/KTT)
The 27-year old would quickly make his way up a number of positions, consistently running within the Top-22 to Top-25 running order through-out the afternoon.
When the checkered flag flew on lap-301, LaJoie crossed the finish line in the 23rd position.
Overall, a solid day for both driver and team having earned their sixth Top-25 finish on the season thus far.
Maybe even more special for LaJoie though was the time he got to spend with his Pepere this past race weekend as the photos below indicate.
(Photos: LeeAnn Egolf)