Corey LaJoie wrecks hard at Bristol after contact from Josh Berry
After hovering in and out of the top-10 tonight at Bristol, Corey LaJoie took a hard hit into the wall after contact from Josh Berry. This was shaping up to be a great NASCAR finale for his time at Spire until the wreck.
Corey LaJoie qualified in the top-10 for the Bristol Night Race. He was coming off two top-10s in three races, both on non-drafting tracks. LaJoie was working on a third but it won’t be possible now.
LaJoie continued in the race after repairs but will finish multiple laps down.
This is the final race Corey LaJoie will race for Spire Motorsports. Rick Ware Racing and Spire made a trade for the end of the season. Justin Haley is taking over LaJoie’s ride in 2025. So, the two sides figured they would get an early jump on things.
This does not mean LaJoie is going to race full-time at RWR next season. But he is getting a tryout, essentially. The good thing is he showed his speed early, he showed it in qualifying, and he was having a career day at Bristol prior to the wreck.
A top-10 at Darlington and another at Watkins Glen show signs of life in LaJoie. He still cares enough to get the most out of his car. Looking at the stats, Haley and LaJoie were only separated by 14 points prior to Bristol. So, it will be interesting to see how they handle the other equipment.
Is this trade going to make a difference for either Haley or LaJoie? Would LaJoie have another top-10 if he didn’t get wrecked?
Corey LaJoie wrecks, playoff drivers eliminated
Harrison Burton stole a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs with his massive win at Daytona a few weeks back. However, the Cinderella Story comes to an end for Burton and Wood Brothers Racing.
Having to race at Bristol without power steering is one of the hardest things you can do. In the old cars, it was a Herculean task. In the Next Gen? It would take the strongest driver to get that done for 250+ laps. These new cars are much heavier and harder to handle without power steering.
For Harrison Burton, it wasn’t meant to be. He came into the cutoff race only 20 points down to the line. Unlike last week at Watkins Glen, this week a majority of the playoff drivers are having strong days.
While Burton isn’t going to advance, there are some other underdogs that are likely to advance how things run currently. During the race, Chase Briscoe has been fantastic. There have been strong performances from Martin Truex Jr., as well as, Austin Cindric.