Dale Earnhardt Jr. puts Corey LaJoie at fault for Kyle Busch's DNF at Pocono

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opined on Corey LaJoie and Kyle Busch's skirmish at Pocono taking Busch's side. He gave the verdict that the Spire Motorsports driver was at fault, asserting that Corey LaJoie could have avoided the wreck but didn't.

The incident happened at Pocono Raceway during The Great American Getaway 400 when LaJoie’s Chevy clipped the left rear of Busch’s car following a restart with 40 laps remaining. The contact sent Busch’s #8 car spinning, causing chaos among several drivers in a field packed up to five and seven wide at that time.

Kyle Busch’s race ended prematurely in P32 while Corey LaJoie secured P19. Later, reflecting on the event, LaJoie maintained that the collision wasn't a reckless move (via NASCAR). However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. contradicted this on his podcast "Dale Jr. Download" by pointing the finger at LaJoie, suggesting he had the chance to prevent the crash. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

"I think it's Corey's fault. [...] It's Cory's the one in control here. Cory's the one that can control whether this happens or it doesn't happen."

The sentiment was echoed by Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft and NBC analyst Jeff Burton, both of whom viewed the wreck as intentional and avoidable.

However, recently, after Corey LaJoie saw the replay he stated that he feels bad for Kyle Busch since he does not intend on ending anyone's race. He reasoned on the wreck:

"I was planning on trying to kind of blend back behind him, but at the same time I was committed to kind of fill and get behind him is when he was in the chip. [...] I spun them out to out several good parts behind me which I do feel bad about on Monday."

---

NASCAR won't penalize Corey LaJoie for wrecking Kyle Busch

Elton Sawyer, NASCAR's Vice President of Competition, mentioned that while LaJoie won't face any penalties, there will be discussions with him to ensure his mindset aligns with safe racing practices. The decision came despite recent punitive action against Bubba Wallace who was fined $50,000 for a post-race altercation with Alex Bowman under different circumstances, highlighting the nuances of NASCAR’s penalty system.

The incident with LaJoie occurred under green-flag conditions without the added risk factor of a lowered window net, which was a factor in Wallace’s case. Critics argued that LaJoie’s maneuver was reckless and compromised the safety of multiple drivers, yet he will not face the same repercussions. Instead, he will participate in discussions with NASCAR officials as they head into the upcoming race in Indianapolis.

LaJoie's season has been challenging. Despite a strong start with a fourth-place finish at Daytona, he has struggled to replicate that performance throughout 2024, failing to secure any additional top-ten finishes.