Back in July 2024, Corey LaJoie saw his NASCAR Cup Series career take a major hit when Spire Motorsports announced that the No. 7 driver would not return after a difficult stretch of performances. Since then, LaJoie has tried rebuilding his stock in the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing. But just as momentum started building again, NASCAR delivered another setback regarding his playoff eligibility, a decision that has now sparked a fresh wave of backlash across the garage and fanbase.

Corey LaJoie’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread

“NASCAR did not grant a waiver for Corey LaJoie to be eligible for the truck playoffs if he could get into the top-10.”

Now, that update from veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass on X immediately sparked debate across the garage and online fan circles because it effectively placed Corey LaJoie in a near must-win situation for the rest of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season.

LaJoie, now driving full-time for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 truck after shifting his focus away from the Cup Series, had been hoping NASCAR would approve a playoff waiver after missing the opening portion of the season. Instead, NASCAR denied the request outright.

Unfortunately, that decision dramatically changes the math. Without the waiver, Corey LaJoie must now finish inside the top 10 in points by the end of the regular season to remain championship eligible in the Truck Series playoffs. And right now, that path looks extremely difficult.

With nine races left before the postseason begins, LaJoie currently sits 96 points behind the cutoff line for 10th place. The issue stems from NASCAR’s long-standing playoff waiver policy. The sanctioning body has historically granted exceptions in cases involving injuries, medical situations, family emergencies, or extraordinary circumstances outside a driver’s control. Drivers who miss races for those reasons can still remain playoff eligible if approved by NASCAR afterward.

However, Corey LaJoie’s situation simply didn’t meet that standard. His absence came from not beginning the season full-time in the Truck Series before later committing to Kaulig’s No. 10 entry. NASCAR ultimately viewed that differently from injury-related absences or emergency situations.

Now, instead of relying on a waiver lifeline, LaJoie faces an uphill battle where every stage point, every finish, and every remaining race suddenly matters far more than before. And unsurprisingly, plenty of NASCAR fans immediately had opinions about whether the sanctioning body got the call right.

NASCAR fans voice their opinions

The moment NASCAR denied Corey LaJoie a playoff waiver, fans immediately began debating whether the rule itself still makes sense in modern NASCAR.

One fan wrote, “I get why NASCAR doesn’t give out waivers for this, but to me if he qualifies on points within the top 10 and is better than drivers that race the full season than he shouldn’t be booted out for someone less deserving.”

That argument gained traction quickly because the current standings already show how unpredictable the Truck Series playoff race has become. Corey Heim, despite running only four races so far this season, already sits 11th in points and just two markers outside the top 10. So, if LaJoie excels over the remaining races, NASCAR’s eligibility rules could still leave him outside the championship picture entirely.

Another fan joked, “Ngl I’m a little surprised the ‘help a new OEM’ bias didn’t win out here.”

That comment referenced Ram officially returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026 through a technical partnership with Kaulig Racing. Some fans expected NASCAR to quietly (although unrealistically) support the manufacturer’s comeback effort by approving the waiver, especially with the sport eager to strengthen manufacturer participation again.

Others pointed to precedent instead. “If they weren’t going to give Enfinger one for missing one race due to unemployment, Lajoie didn’t stand a chance.”

That refers to Grant Enfinger being denied a playoff waiver back in 2021 after missing a race because sponsorship and funding issues left him without a ride. NASCAR maintained its hardline stance then, and many fans believe consistency demanded the same outcome here.

Some reactions were far harsher toward the Ram program itself. “Disappointing that this didn’t happen but let’s be honest, Ram would be lucky to have any truck run good enough to make the playoffs this year.”

Right now, Ram-backed full-time drivers sit 13th, 14th, 19th, and 22nd in points, which only added fuel to skepticism surrounding the manufacturer’s return. And naturally, NASCAR fans still found room for humor too.

“He did not stack enough pennies?”

A cheeky jab at LaJoie’s popular “Stacking Pennies” podcast and perhaps a reminder that in NASCAR, even playoff heartbreak eventually becomes content.