Corey LaJoie to Skip Cup Series Race at Michigan International Speedway

Published 08/21/2021, 12:30 PM EDT

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series will visit the Michigan International Speedway. However, Corey LaJoie will not be among the participating drivers, due to COVID-19 protocols. Thus, Spire Motorsports has recruited Josh Berry to substitute for him in the #7 car.

Speaking about the move, he said, “One of the people within the studio, he tested a couple of days later and was positive. In contact racing, regardless of whether I have symptoms or negative tests, it’s an automatic seven-day quarantine. It’s frustrating, it sucks, and it stinks because I feel like we had a pretty good car prepared.”

LaJoie confessed that it will be difficult seeing Berry in his car. Though on the positive side of things, he appreciated that people were concerned for his welfare.

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What else did Corey LaJoie say?

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According to the Spire Motorsports driver, he is a victim of unfortunate circumstances. As a result, he is disappointed that he is not in a position to race this weekend. Nevertheless, he knows that NASCAR has its reasons and protocols to follow. So he will not hold a grudge against the sport.

He continued, “Anytime you see somebody else. We’re going to see Josh Berry dance with my chick on the dance floor on Sunday. It stings a little bit, but I appreciate people checking in on me all the time. It’s the world we live in, do I agree with it? Probably not, but I feel like, NASCAR from start to finish, we’re the first professional sport to get back on the race track.”

Instead, he will focus on seeing out the quarantine period and not unnecessarily risk the lives of others. Although it is painful to see another driver in his car, this situation is for the best. Hopefully for Spire Motorsports, LaJoie’s absence will be very short and he should return by the next race weekend. Considering that the playoffs are close, no driver can afford to fall ill or fall afoul of the COVID restrictions.

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.