When Kaulig Racing first submitted the waiver paperwork on April 1, it seemed Corey LaJoie would get a pass from the sanctioning body. LaJoie wasn’t just some random driver gaming the system; he was stepping into the No. 10 Ram as an emergency savior to clean up the massive PR mess Daniel Dye left behind. But the “extraordinary circumstances” that the team executives sealed and formally submitted were sent back stamped, “denied.”

Veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass confirmed the decision on X, and just like that, the outlook changed completely. It effectively placed Corey LaJoie in a near must-win situation for the rest of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season.

“NASCAR did not grant a waiver for Corey LaJoie to be eligible for the truck playoffs if he could get into the top-10.” 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. However, for a while, it did seem like he would get the waiver. And for some solid reasons.

• First things first, this is not a driver that seems to be someone trying to exploit the system. He stepped into a mid-season situation where he starts from zero and already sits way below the playoff cut line. So he has no real advantage over anyone already locked into contention.
• LaJoie also only missed two races this season, both because he wasn’t initially in a full-time ride. He still competed in Daytona and Darlington, and those absences weren’t strategic or intentional. The waiver rule is meant to prevent manipulation and not penalize drivers who didn’t even have a seat secured when the season began.
• Then there is also the issue that shows that this rule has not been consistent. In 2020, Matt Kenseth replaced Kyle Larson mid-season and was still granted a playoff waiver despite missing early races. So NASCAR has shown flexibility when needed.

And this is why maybe 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.