Caitlin Clark gives seal of approval for Corey LaJoie’s Iowa Hawkeyes paint scheme

The NASCAR Cup Series is going to Iowa for the first time and there is a special paint scheme that Caitlin Clark is a big fan of. Corey LaJoie is driving a special Iowa Hawkeyes design that fans are going to love.

Gainbridge is a major sponsor for Spire Motorsports. Thanks to them, the organization has been able to grow substantially in the last year. Caitlin Clark is a Gainbridge ambassador. So, the pairing makes a ton of sense.

Now a WNBA star, Clark is well aware of the Hawkeyes paint scheme.

“Iowa, what’s up? You’re going to love what Gainbridge is doing this weekend at Iowa Speedway with Spire Motorsports. Corey LaJoie will be driving the No. 7 Chevrolet, featuring an amazing Hawkeyes paint scheme, to represent the University of Iowa. I know I’ll be rooting for the black and gold car. Go Corey!”

This paint scheme is @CaitlinClark22 approved! 🖤💛@TheIowaHawkeyes alum & @GainbridgeLife ambassador Caitlin Clark is hyped for @CoreyLaJoie’s ride this weekend 🙌 The @spiremotorsports No. 7 Chevrolet will rock this black and gold paint scheme at @iowaspeedway on Sunday. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/kSX8yt6Cwx

— Gainbridge Sports (@GainbridgeSport) June 14, 2024

Caitlin Clark has been busy getting adapted to the WNBA and the pro game. Still, she always has time for Iowa and her former school. When it comes to the Hawkeyes, she’s ready to cheer no matter if it is the court or the race track.

As for Corey LaJoie, Iowa is a new place. Yes, he’s raced there before, but that was more than a decade ago in the ARCA Menards Series. A P4 finish back then, Grant Enfinger won the race with Kyle Weatherman P2 and Chad Boat finishing just ahead of LaJoie.

Will LaJoie be able to use the unfamiliarity of this track to his advantage? He has arguably the best paint scheme on the track, so why not add a great finish to that?

Iowa Speedway tearing up tires like Caitlin Clark tears up threes

The Caitlin Clark crossover is awesome. But the Cup Series drivers are going to need a few adjustments if they want to have a chance at winning the race at Iowa this weekend. Practice showed there are a few wrinkles to overcome.

During the practice session, five drivers suffered flat tires. Not just flats, blowouts. Ty Gibbs almost hit the wall, Christopher Bell DID hit the wall and hard, then Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, and Tyler Reddick all suffered flats as well.

The chaos in practice meant that NASCAR had to add 13 minutes to the total time. It was already a 50-minute session to start with. Corey LaJoie and others avoided disaster, but with tires blowing out after 20 laps, that could just be plain luck.

NASCAR teams are going to try and figure this out before Sunday. Right now, it looks like we might have a repeat of Bristol on our hands if these tires are going to get torn up like this after fewer than two dozen laps.