Corey LaJoie’s Michigan flip causes NASCAR to introduce new NextGen mandate

After evaluating Corey LaJoie's scary slip at Michigan International Speedway last Monday, NASCAR has created a new mandate for the NextGen car. The Cup Series cars will feature right-side rear window air deflectors for the upcoming race at Daytona International Speedway on August 24.

Currently, the NextGen car has a single air deflector on its left side, which was deployed when LaJoie's No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet took off after contact with Stewart-Haas Racing's Noah Gragson on lap 136. However, LaJoie's car turned up and around before sliding upside down, finally coming to a halt on the infield grasswork.

NASCAR has already done the quantification and wind tunnel testing for the parts that come with the new mandate. Renowned FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter) saying:

"After evaluating LaJoie flip, NASCAR mandating Right Side Rear Window Air Deflector this weekend. This component increases liftoff speed of the car in the early part of the spin. NASCAR says parts have been wind tunnel tested and quantified. Will be just like one on left side."

Following the wreck, Corey LaJoie was admitted to the infield care center and was later checked and released with no major injuries. The 32-year-old Speedster dropped an update on his health in a recent episode of his "Stacking Pennies" podcast (as reported by On3).

"I’m doing fine, appreciate you for asking," LaJoie said. "Pretty much just more frustrated with how the year has gone more than how I feel. I’m sore, but just pretty pissed off that we had a really good car and continue to not show result for it."

Corey LaJoie expected Noah Gragson to have left him a lane

Corey LaJoie at Richmond Raceway during the Qualifyings - Source: Imagn

In the same episode of his podcast, Corey LaJoie reflected on the moments that led to the horrifying crash. Although LaJoie believes Noah Gragson had not "use(d) him up" completely, he said the Ford pilot could have left him a lane.

"He (Gragson) didn’t really use me up necessarily but I had got the top burned in and I was making hay and he just closed it a couple times real late," LaJoie said. When someone’s coming with that amount of speed you usually leave a lane."

After making contact with Gragson's No. 10 SHR machine, Corey LaJoie's car swerved to the left, with its face turning sideways. Right then, the vehicle caught air and tumbled upside down onto the cross-wind.

After the car settled back on its wheels, Lajoie was seen rolling his window flaps down and climbing out of his car. The crowd cheered as the driver seemed to be doing okay.

LaJoie then recalled what the crash felt like from the inside of his car.

"So I hit him (Gragson) and I started spinning out, I’m like dammit, just lock it down, try to keep this thing going," LaJoie said. "I’ll drive around with flats on and we’ll put tires on it and we’ll still try. I was thinking about that all in the span of it getting sideways, then it picked up and I’m like, 'Oh s***, I’m flying through the air.'"

"There’s like rocks and dust and dirt and my eyes are kind of like closed because my stuff, like there’s sparks and stuff hitting me in the face... then I hit the wall upside down and the wheel like rips out of my hand and I was like, 'Oh, shoot, I’m still going pretty fast, let me grab my seatbelts.' Then I got to the grass and it was like ugh, ugh, ugh. Bigger than a softball size clump of grass landed right in my lap," he added.

As of today, Corey LaJoie sits 31st in the Cup Series standings with 332 points to his name. He has led 38 laps this season and amassed one top 5 and one top 10 so far. Last week's race brought him his second DNF of the season (the first one was at Talladega earlier this year).