"Corey LaJoie is a menace" - NASCAR fans blast Spire Motorsports driver after Watkins Glen crash wrecks several playoff contenders

Corey LaJoie caused a huge wreck on the opening lap of the Go Bowling at The Glen, affecting the race of several playoff contenders like Denny Hamlin. The field was passing through the bus stop when LaJoie hit the rear left of the No. 8 car, which spun out and collected other drivers.

LaJoie is a 32-year-old who pilots the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro at Spire Motorsports. He is set to leave the team at the end of the season, with his future in the sport yet to be announced.

The multi-car wreck saw the No. 8 car of Kyle Busch spin out following the hit from LaJoie. As Busch was spinning around, the No. 8 car initially hit the No. 20 of Christopher Bell, who got through. Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 car, hit the rear of the No. 8 car, causing the playoff contender to plummet down the field.

Brad Keselowski slowed down to avoid Busch but his No. 6 Ford Mustang got tagged from behind by Ryan Blaney. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion eventually retired while the rest of the affected drivers carried on with the race. Both Keselowski and Blaney are playoff contenders this year.

Fans were not happy with the on-track incident caused by Corey LaJoie on the opening lap. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“Corey LaJoie is a menace.”

“LaJoie is f***ing terrible!” another fan commented.

“Another certified Corey LaJoie banger,” one fan said.

A fan strongly suggested that the No. 7 driver must be taken out of his seat, saying:

“They need to take LaJoie out of the car immediately. Every week no matter where he is in the lineup. It’s getting ridiculous!”

"@CoreyLaJoie is literally the worst driver in nascar that includes ARCA," another fan claimed.

"How can anyone defend Lajoie anymore?" a fan questioned.

The Go Bowling at The Glen is the second race of the Round of 16 in this year’s Cup Series playoffs. It is also the first of two road courses on the playoffs schedule, with the Roval 400 at Charlotte scheduled for the last race of the Round of 12.

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Corey LaJoie could swap seats with Justin Haley at Rick Ware Racing - Report

With Corey LaJoie exiting Spire Motorsports this year, a rumor suggests the North Carolina native could be swapping seats with Justin Haley at Rick Ware Racing. This means LaJoie could be driving the No. 51 Ford Mustang next season.

While an official announcement has yet to be made, the Chevrolet driver is confident teams will give him calls for potential seat offers.

“My phone’s going and people are interested in making calls,” LaJoie said last month via The Athletic. “But every good door in my life that’s been opened hasn’t been opened by myself; I wasn’t the one ripping those doors open, they were open and I had to walk through those when the time was right. So I have faith and I have confidence that the next door, whether it’s on Sundays (Cup) or not, is going to open.”

As of this writing, Corey LaJoie is running in second at Watkins Glen. Denny Hamlin, who is fighting to keep his playoff hopes alive following a 13-point finish in Atlanta, is running in 34th.