Randy LaJoie’s racing career started at a young age in a go-kart, and is still going. The Connecticut native competed in modifieds, NASCAR’s Busch Grand National North series, and is a two-time Nationwide champion.
During his early racing career, Randy used a driving seat that belonged to the late Mark Donohue that Randy’s father had purchased. It was a custom, form-fitted fiberglass seat and it sits in his shop to this day. After NASCAR outlawed fiberglass seats, seat makers started using other materials, mostly aluminum.
To say that Randy didn’t like what was out there is an understatement. The Joie of Seating was born and Randy started producing custom form-fitted seats for stock cars, sprint cars, trucks, karts and even racing boats. All seats produced are quality and safety certified by The SFI Foundation, which certifies products for 50 different sanctioning bodies. The seats are mostly aluminum, with sprint car seats a hybrid of aluminum and carbon inlays.
All seats are custom built and are designed to keep drivers from moving during impact. The testimonials on the Joie of Seating website attest to the safety of the seats.
One of the neat aspects of Randy’s business is his focus on safety and his focus on young racers. Since kids grow so fast, Randy will re-figure a growing driver’s seat, again and again if necessary, and they can trade up to another division as they improve. In addition, he started a non-profit foundation, Safer Racer, in which he takes his act on the road to promote safety seating to racers and their benefactors across the country. He will visit up to 40 race tracks in a single season.
Even if you can’t afford the $3,000-$4,000 price tag for a Joie seat, you can purchase add-ons for your existing seat. It’s all about being safe.
Corinne Economaki