Corey LaJoie came close enough to taste his first NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday in Atlanta, but he had to get around Chase Elliott on the final lap to take it, and as Elliott freely admitted, it didn’t happen without a roadblock. LaJoie knew it too and sent it anyway. The result sent his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet onto the track, into the wall and into a crash that ended his chances – and sealed the win for Elliott.
“Obviously I knew he was going to have a big run,” Elliott said, “I really didn’t want to give him the bottom and I tried to give him a good aggressive block, I felt like I had room to give him a second one and he was right there from the right side of my rear bumper so it was far enough off the back of the bumper to launch me forward. I hate that we broke a few cars, but I don’t know what you do, win or not, and I’ll take option A any day of the week.”
It doesn’t happen often, but the driver who came out at the end of the run was in complete agreement with the winner’s position.
“The closest I’ve ever been. Man, that was fun,” LaJoie told NBC Sports, pleased with the way he made his shot and how it played out. “I made my move and it didn’t work out — he made a good block and the siren is ringing in Dawsonville, unfortunately. I wish that grandma in the front row wouldn’t clap so much — I wish the #7 car was in victory lane. But if we compete like this more consistently, that time will come.”
LaJoie admitted he was “going to school” when he led on the final restart with five laps to go. “It’s the first time I’ve led one of those restarts at one of those superspeedway-style racetracks and how much you have to slide back, cover the runs — it was all new to me, so when I get back into that position I’ll be a little more prepared and we can do a little better job and be the one throwing the blocks as opposed to the one trying to make that late-race move because that guy is usually in the cat seat. I was having fun, I know. Hopefully we can have that number 7 car out front more often.”
After that televised interview, LaJoie headed to victory lane to congratulate Elliott in person, demonstrating that the harsh consequences of a tough race don’t always lead to bad feelings.
Add Comment