“The biggest thing we’ve been trying to execute this year is having mistake-free races” - Corey LaJoie post Atlanta race

Corey LaJoie outperformed his fifth-place performance in the spring race at Atlanta last year by finishing fourth in the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday (March 19). Based on his observations, the redesigned racetrack has benefited from having racing cars with good handling.

Joey Logano won the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, continuing the NASCAR Cup Series' March schedule. The 260-lap race was made up of one 60-lap opening stage and two 100-lap stages, for a course of 400 miles. Logano's triumph on Sunday was his first in the 2023 Cup season.

Corey LaJoie joined Racing America's "The Bullring" to discuss his fourth-place performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway and his excellent start to the 2023 season with Spire Motorsports. He said:

"The biggest thing we’ve been trying to execute this year is having mistake-free races. We had a lot of mechanical failures last year, we had a couple of driver mistakes. I think we had three driver DNFs last year and 18 DNFs."

He continued:

"If we can keep that to a minimum and run all the laps, I think we can sustain somewhere in that top 20 in points, which would be huge for our team."

Corey LaJoie is presently 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. LaJoie attributed part of the team's better success in 2023 to a switch in approach, with an emphasis on reducing mistakes and making the most of every chance. He stated:

“Now I realize you can’t take a 30th place car in the Cup Series and run 20th with it which is impossible. There are so many good guys that are running their car as hard as they can, too. You’d be naïve to think you are able to put your car on your back and run it 10 or 12 spots better than what your car is capable of doing.”

Of course, LaJoie still has the remaining races at Atlanta, Daytona, and Talladega on his schedule, where he hopes to improve on his fourth-place finish from Sunday and contend for a win to punch his ticket into the playoffs.

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“My dad didn’t like it” - Corey LaJoie said about his long hair

NASCAR driver rebranding entails more than just a haircut. Corey LaJoie, the son of two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Randy LaJoie, grew up in racing, but it's only been in the last few years that he's concentrated on creating his brand and realizing its significance in his career.

He recently changed his long, curly hair, which he had been maintaining for two years, for a short cut, giving him a more corporate aspect. It was one of the more stunning moves of the sport's off-season.

When asked why he suddenly changed his style, LaJoie said:

"My dad didn’t like it, the people who were either signing my checks or I wanted to sign my checks, I don’t think they loved the long hair look. I needed a reset for myself."