“I Didn’t Come Here to Be a Good Friend to Somebody” – Corey LaJoie Dismisses Hendrick Alliance Theory After Devastating Defeat to Chase Elliott in Atlanta

At the Atlanta Motor Speedway, poor old Corey LaJoie was ever so close to a maiden Cup Series victory. Running in second place, he made a desperate lunge for the lead, but Chase Elliott fended him off. In the end, the Spire Motorsports driver ended up wrecking but had zero regrets about his actions.

He confessed, “I’ll watch it back probably 100 times. I’ll replay it 100 times in my head on the way back on the plane, but I don’t think I’d change anything right now, because I was going for it, and I was not content to push (Elliott) to the win. There’s a little bit of a Chevy alliance and Hendrick help here and there, but I didn’t come here to be a good friend to somebody.”

Owing to the wreck, he could only muster 21st on the track, though the result was not an indication of his pace. LaJoie’s march up the order was impressive, considering that he started 30th and even led 19 laps. During the final restart, the #7 driver snatched the inside for the final green flag. Meanwhile, Elliott danced around his outside on the penultimate lap and took the lead.

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Corey LaJoie had plenty of admirers in the paddock

Due to his impressive run, the likes of Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon took notice. According to Hendrick, if Elliott did not win, then he was rooting for LaJoie. Meanwhile, Gordon admitted that he admired the driver’s attitude and passion. The 4-time Cup Series champion confessed that he was hoping that Elliott and LaJoie finished 1-2. However, he is confident that a maiden Cup win is on the horizon for the #7 driver.

Corey LaJoie actually downplayed his ability, revealing that most of the time, he has hung around the Top 30. So when he gets unexpected good runs like the one at Atlanta, it is extra special and a morale booster for the team. According to the 30-year-old, the last time he and Chase Elliott fought for the race lead was nearly a decade ago. Since then, they have taken different career paths, but LaJoie believes that given the right scenario, he can perform well.

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