Randy LaJoie has seen a lot in his many years of racing.
He’s
won races on a weekly short-track level and has competed and
won in NASCAR’s top series. The two-time NASCAR Busch
Series Champion has nearly done it all in his career, but there’s
one thing left on his list. 
LaJoie’s new focus is to make sure every driver, regardless
of age or racing level, has the most up-to-date safety products
and information implemented in their racecars.
For years
LaJoie has been at the forefront of racing seat safety with
his company, The Joie of Seating, but now he is putting an
emphasis on sharing safety information with novice and experienced
short track drivers. Previously, this information was only
available to the top-tier racers.
“I’ve been to the short tracks of North Carolina
to New York, Connecticut to Kansas, and Minnesota to Florida,
and I know local racers haven’t been fed the information
on safety as quick as drivers in the top-three divisions,” said
LaJoie. “As part of NASCAR’s top-three divisions
for a long time, I’ve worked very closely with NASCAR’s
Research and Development department. It seems like every bit
of information that comes out of there goes directly to the
competitors in the top-three series, but not to the short track
racers. It could be very easily done, so that’s why
I am so focused on getting the information to the weekly
racers.”
For LaJoie, racing safety goes beyond just having a safe
seat mounted inside the racecar. There are many more things
racers can do to make sure they are safe on the racetrack,
and that’s
exactly what LaJoie is trying to relay to drivers all around
the country.
“I’d say 99.7% of short track drivers don’t
pay enough attention to safety. Honestly, I didn’t pay
as much attention to safety as I should have until we lost
Dale Earnhardt. It’s too bad it took his passing, as
well as five or six others in the top NASCAR levels, but we
now realize we don’t want anymore injuries or deaths
in racecars. 
“Racing is a dangerous sport, there’s no doubt
about that, but with the right information, drivers can be
kept safer. I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt
behind the wheel of a racecar.”
Racing safety doesn’t start in the weekly short track
divisions either. Legends, Bandolero, and Go-Kart drivers
need to be just as safety conscious as drivers in NASCAR
divisions. That is why LaJoie is offering his help to parents
to make sure their kids are safe inside their racecars.
“As a parent, I do not want my kids getting hurt inside
a racecar. No parent does. That’s why keeping on top
of the latest safety products, and proper use of them, should
be every parent’s and driver’s top priority.
“I know that parents will be able to sleep better
at night knowing the seat and belts are installed the right
way and that their kid has the best helmet, the best firesuit
and the best head and neck restraint,” added LaJoie,
who has two sons, Cory and Casey, who both race cars. “Every
parent should feel the same way, that’s why paying
attention to safety is so important.”
LaJoie and his staff are making themselves available to
answer any racer’s questions on how to be as safe as
possible inside the racecar. To contact him, visit The Joie
of Seating on the web at www.joieofseating.com or call the
shop at 704-795-7474.
