Corey LaJoie urges Donald Trump for “quick word after Driver intros” as the president orders to halt minting pennies

NASCAR driver and analyst Corey LaJoie seemed concerned when President Donald Trump announced through X that the US Mint would stop producing new pennies. LaJoie said he hoped to have a word with the 78-year-old about the same.

For LaJoie to attempt to rescue the pennies is only befitting. After all, he’s the co-host of Stacking Pennies, a weekly NASCAR podcast powered by Mobil 1 and loved by all race fans.

This is what the 33-year-old, native of Charlotte wrote while responding to Trump’s announcement:

“Mr Trump, may I have a quick word after Driver intros? #savethepennies.”

Trump will be among the esteemed guests for this year’s Daytona 500, scheduled for Sunday, February 16. However, it’s not his first time attending the iconic NASCAR Cup Series race. In 2020, he showed up in his Presidential limousine before cruising around the track ahead of the famed 500-miler.

CBS News Senior White House & Political Correspondent Ed O’Keefe was the first to drop the news on social media. Notably, Trump will be the second US President after George W. Bush to attend the race.

Whether LaJoie will run the crown jewel event is not confirmed. However, he will attempt to qualify alongside drivers like Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, J.J. Yeley, Anthony Alfredo, Chandler Smith, B.J. McLeod, Jimmie Johnson, and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

Qualifying will be held on Wednesday, February 12, and televised on Fox Sports 1 from 8:15 pm ET onwards. On the other hand, the pair of Bluegreen Vacations Duel races are scheduled for the next day with live broadcast beginning at 7 pm ET.

Corey LaJoie expresses his thoughts on the new Open Exemption Provisional

The Open Exemption Provisional brought about this year will allow a world-class driver to run a special 41st entry in the Daytona 500, given that they fail to straight up qualify for it. However, Corey LaJoie thinks the new provisional should not apply to non-NASCAR drivers.

NASCAR announced that Helio Castroneves will be awarded the provisional if needed. LaJoie knows that having Castroneves on board will elevate the sport as a whole but in his opinion, handing the provisional to a former NASCAR driver is the best way to go about it.

“You know, if there is one spot and there is a priority to who NASCAR feels like deserves a spot, but if it’s past champions, be it MTJ or Jimmie Johnson, those guys show up, those guys have dedicated – they’re Hall of Famers,” explained LaJoie during an interview with journalist Bob Pockrass. “So, those guys should get at least a spot made for them as opposed, not as opposed, in addition to somebody that’s coming for their first race.”

The Open Exemption Provisional is not applicable for any regular season, point-paying race other than the Daytona 500. So all this debate about the perfect candidate for the special entry will stop following the 67th running of the “Great American Race”.