Corey LaJoie will attempt to qualify for the 2026 Daytona 500 in a fourth RFK Racing entry, the team announced on Thursday.
The 34-year-old veteran will drive the No. 99 Trimble Ford in the Feb. 15 season opener, marking the team’s first race with that number since Carl Edwards in 2014 after Daniel Suárez donned the No. 99 for five seasons at Trackhouse Racing. LaJoie will look to join full-time drivers Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece in the “Great American Race.”
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“This is a dream come true to get an opportunity with RFK Racing at the Daytona 500,” LaJoie said in a team release. “This is without a doubt, the best car and opportunity I‘ve had at Daytona. I‘m grateful for the trust they‘ve placed in me.”
LaJoie raced full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2019 through 2024, compiling 276 starts over his career. He made four starts last season in a second Rick Ware Racing entry, including the Daytona 500, as well as nine Craftsman Truck Series starts for Spire Motorsports in addition to his television duties with Prime Video. LaJoie has three top 10s in nine Daytona 500 appearances.
The Concord, North Carolina native heads into 2026 with an expanded role with RFK Racing. LaJoie is slated to drive Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford for the exhibition Cook Out Clash on Feb. 1 (8 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as Keselowski recovers from a broken leg suffered during a family ski trip last month.
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“From a competition standpoint, having a fourth car gives us and Ford Racing a better chance to win the Daytona 500,” Keselowski, RFK Racing’s co-owner, said in a release. “It‘s not just about adding another entry. Superspeedway racing is about cooperation and having an additional car allows us to be more effective in forming drafting alliances, controlling lanes, and putting ourselves in position when it matters most.”
Additionally, Trimble will sponsor the organization for 11 races throughout the 2026 season.
RFK Racing has a storied history with the No. 99, fielding the car number from 1996 through 2014. In that span, the No. 99 Ford earned 40 wins — 17 with Jeff Burton and 23 with Carl Edwards. The 68th annual Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
