"Guys don’t let it move forward" - Corey LaJoie calls it 'frustrating' to see drivers not helping NASCAR address Next Gen car issues

In a season riddled with issues from the introduction of the Next Gen car, NASCAR finally decided to answer the questions many Cup Series drivers have been asking for a significant portion of the 2022 season so far. The radical change seen in the highest echelon of stock car racing bought with itself concerns about the safety of the drivers, along with the race-ability and overtaking-ability of the newer seventh-generation stock cars.

After repeated jabs from several well-established veteran drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, the governing body has decided to host weekly meetings to discuss the issues going forward, wholely trying to find solutions with the people who have first-hand experience of the cars in race conditions. With the schedule for these pre-race get-togethers finalized for the remainder of the season, and one already underway last weekend at Charlotte Roval, drivers are finally getting what they have been asking for.

Spire Motorsports driver Corey LaJoie, however, was one driver who was not particularly content after the 75-minute-long conversation with NASCAR's senior officials. The 31-year-old touched upon the issue of how his fellow racers were lingering on how the sport got itself into a situation where concussions have ruled out two major drivers from this year's playoffs, rather than discussing how to make progress. He said:

“Guys don’t let it move forward. They want to talk about the process of how we got here instead of the process of how we get from here forward. It’s so frustrating. We want to argue about this or that or that crash data, we have what we have right now. Guys, we are going to drive these cars today. It doesn’t matter how we got to this car. It’s about how we move forward, and nobody’s allowing NASCAR to talk and address those issues.”

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NASCAR confirms the governing body will cover changes made to Cup cars in 2023

Last weekend's pre-race drivers' meeting with NASCAR's senior officials seems to have paid off in more ways than one as the governing body. Along with realizing its mistakes with the new cars and fixing them for the 2023 season, the motorsport association has agreed to pay for the changes as well.

In a statement shared by notable NASCAR journalist Bozi Tatarevic and further re-tweeted by Bob Pockrass, the governing body seems to be covering the costs involved in the changes and/or replacements of the rear sections of the cars for next year.

Drivers will be seen racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for South Point 400, marking the start of the 2022 Round of 8.