Corey LaJoie, Kyle Busch trigger massive wreck at Pocono Raceway
The hits keep coming for Kyle Busch, this time during Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.
On the Lap 120 restart, Busch got hooked by Corey LaJoie heading into Turn 1. Busch blocked LaJoie from the bottom, who then retaliated. Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet shot up the racetrack and took out multiple cars.
Other cars involved in the wreck were Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Ryan Preece and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
LaJoie and his team were far from remorseful after the wreck.
“He hooked himself,” someone could be heard on LaJoie’s radio.
“Fu*k him,” another team member said, “we ain’t worried about him. We’re worried about ourselves.”
Pocono was an all-around disastrous weekend for Busch from the moment he got to the racetrack. First, it was steering issues during Saturday’s practice session. Then came moments before the race began, when his car started leaking oil on pit road. His team had to repair the issue in the garage, and he started the race from the rear of the field.
Busch will finish P32, his fifth DNF in the last seven races. His winless streak extends to 42, a career-long for the two-time Cup Series champion.
Kyle Busch reacts to contact with Corey LaJoie, massive wreck at Pocono
Busch issued a measured response to NBC Sports after being released from the infield care center.
“Nah, I just want to thank all of our partners and everybody that’s been behind our program at RCR, ECR Engines, obviously Zone nicotine pouches and Cheddar’s, Lucas Oil, everybody for their support and continuing to back us and be behind us, and of course the fans and Rowdy Nation as well, too,” Busch said.
Asked if he felt any conversation needed to happen between he and LaJoie, Busch said, “nah.”
Busch was open about his struggles this season in his pre-race interview.
“Yeah, no question, I mean, definitely,” Busch said. “I don’t think you and hem and haw or dance around that answer of that question because it is frustrating, but um, there’s a process here, and you know, there’s a big circle of success that’s happened in this sport. There’s guys at the top. Then guys at the bottom. They circle back around to the top. I was at the top for a long, long time, and felt really, really good to be there.
“So, now just in a different realm and trying to figure out how to, how to climb that. It’s way easier to fall than it is to crawl back up. So, we’ll just keep figuring out what those ways are.”