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Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie crossed the checkered flag in Talladega in the most bizarre of fashions on Sunday (April 21).
In his fourth full-time season with Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, No. 7 Chevrolet driver Corey LaJoie is yet to set the world alight. Following a surprising fourth-place finish in the season-opening Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, the 32-year-old has struggled to notch up top-20 finishes in 10 races so far.
The GEICO 500 race at Talladega Superspeedway was yet another tumultuous affair for LaJoie, who struggled to find pace after a lackluster qualifying session. However, the spotlight was on the Spire Motorsports driver as he crossed the finish line tilted sideways.
The chaotic final lap saw pole-starter Michael McDowell attempting to defend his position by blocking Brad Keselowski, resulting in a chain reaction crash. Caught up in the melee, LaJoie's car, along with several others, became entangled in the wreckage.
Remarkably, LaJoie's No. 7 Chevrolet found itself underneath the No. 4 car of Josh Berry, causing it to turn sideways and ride along the wall. Despite the unconventional orientation of his vehicle, LaJoie's momentum propelled him across the start-finish line, securing an 18th-place finish.
Watch the footage below:
Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing clinched his sixth Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. GEICO 500 was Reddick's first triumph this season.
Corey LaJoie, Josh Berry share insights on bizzare finish
Reflecting on the extraordinary conclusion to the race, LaJoie shared his perspective, stating (via Frontstretch):
"I’m good. That was the first slip of my career in a big car, so 10 out of 10 don’t recommend it. Pretty wild ride, just never could quite get it in the right spot, at the right time at the end. And then you just you’re just waiting to pile them up.”
Further describing the sequence of events, Corey LaJoie detailed how his car completed a full rotation before landing upright. He said:
"I did a full rotation. So, I did left side on the ground for a bit. Then it kind of stopped. Then it flipped over, hit the roof and then landed on all fours. I’m glad I slipped past the start-finish line though."
Meanwhile, Stewart-Haas Racing rookie Josh Berry, who was also involved in the chaotic final-lap crash with LaJoie, shared his part of the story. The former JR Motorsports driver who replaced Kevin Harvick at SHR this season, stated (via the aforementioned source):
"I don’t know what happened up in front of us, but they got all crossed up, and then we got turned in the wall. I’m sure everybody was running wide open into it, and we got knocked up in the air."
After 10 races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Corey LaJoie finds himself at 30th position. As things stand, it looks unlikely that the 32-year-old would be able to lock in a playoff berth.
