Corey LaJoie blames NASCAR’s ‘bogus’ penalty for his disappointing Darlington result

Part-time NASCAR Truck Series driver Corey Lajoie recently competed in the Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, August 31, 2025. But, during the 200.8-mile race, Lajoie had a tough time and faced a penalty, resulting in a disappointing result.

The #77 Chevy Truck driver had a decent qualifying session for the main event and secured a spot among the top ten drivers on the grid. He began the race from P9 with a best time of 29.74 seconds and a top speed of 165.35 mph. Additionally, Lajoie was just 0.42 seconds behind the pole-sitter, Front Row Motorsports driver Layne Riggs, with a best lap time of 29.32 seconds.

Corey Lajoie moved up a spot in stage one of the race, and then he made constant progress in stage two, wrapping up in P6. However, things changed in the final stage of the 147-lap race. On lap 134, the #77 Chevy truck driver received a penalty for a restart violation. Reflecting on the late-race penalty, Lajoie expressed his anger and wrote (via X):

"Would’ve been 6th, got handed a bogus restart penalty with 10 to go. On to Bristol."

Corey LaJoie

@CoreyLaJoie

Would’ve been 6th, got handed a bogus restart penalty with 10 to go. On to Bristol.

After receiving the penalty, Corey Lajoie fell multiple spots and finished the race in P20. Meanwhile, Corey Heim secured his eighth win of this season in 19 starts. Despite an unsatisfactory result, Lajoie is set to compete in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

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“I’ve got connections”: Corey Lajoie opened up about his full-time NASCAR return

Earlier this year, part-time NASCAR driver Corey Lajoie sat down with FrontStretch Media for an interview ahead of his CARS Tour debut. During the interaction, Lajoie opened up about his full-time return to stock car racing.

Lajoie parted ways with Spire Motorsports ahead of the 2025 Cup Series season and partnered up with Rick Ware Racing instead. Following that, he made an appearance during the 2025 Daytona 500 and finished the race in P22, one spot behind former Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer. Later, in May, the professional driver shifted his perspective on his full-time racing in NASCAR and focused on delivering strong performance in the CARS Tour before his return.

Reflecting on the same, Corey Lajoie told the media house (via YouTube):

"Hopefully we get this thing to turn in a 40-acre field. But you know, I’ve got connections on Sunday, but it’s got to be with the right group." [01:45 onwards]

"At the end of the day, whether you're late model racing or Cup racing, you got to be with the right group at the right time. Beyond that, man, you're just along for the ride. So you got to surround yourself with good people. And if those opportunities come up, great. If not, then I’ll just keep hanging out with my kiddos," Lajoie concluded.

Corey Lajoie currently ranks 28th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with 89 points to his credit. He has secured two top-ten finishes and two top-five finishes in three races in the 2025 season. Additionally, he led 12 laps with an average finish of 10.