With Corey Lajoie landing in 4th and Carson Hocevar hanging close to the top 10 after the first stage, Spire Motorsports really flexed their muscles today. When Stage 1 wrapped up, the #7 car nabbed P7, while Carson Hocevar crossed the line in 14th. But come Stage 2, these two kicked it into high gear, making their teams and car brands mighty proud. Corey Lajoie was spotted tearing it up in 3rd place at one point on Lap 89, and Hocevar made a slick pass, cruising in the top 15.

Corey Lajoie hung tight in the top 10, while Carson Hocevar entered the top 15

On one hand, William Byron managed to claw back to the lead lap after losing a lap in Stage 1, snagging the free pass by the end of it, though he’s stuck back in 26th. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch had shot up to third, with Corey Lajoie not far behind in fourth, and Martin Truex Jr rounding out the top five.

Shout out to Lajoie’s pit crew, who were absolutely on fire today. Their slick work during the pit stops is what catapulted him to 4th at the restart. The No. 7 Chevrolet wasn’t just hanging with the leaders; it was there because it deserved to be, even breezing past Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr to claim second at one point. We’re seeing some real gains from that team in 2024.

Though Corey Lajoie did slip a few places later on, losing ground to Martin Truex Jr, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs, he was still going strong in seventh. And with Carson Hocevar doing well in 12th, Spire Motorsports is showing they might just be on the cusp of something big with their beefed-up Cup efforts.

But the team’s joy was cut short in a heartbeat. With only a handful of laps left, #7 spun in turn 2.

The thrill for the #7 crew fizzled out fast after a slip-up on the track

It all started when Corey LaJoie triggered the yellow flag caution when he lost control in 18th place. The chatter on the team’s radio hinted that Brad Keselowski, who was tailing him in the #6 as the Lajoie spun, might have played a part. But replay footage made it clear as day—there was zero contact between the two. LaJoie just lost grip on the turn, spun out, and lightly tapped the wall with a flat tire. It could be bad luck for him, who was on fire in the first half of the race.

LaJoie had been cruising in the top five earlier, just like he’s been kicking off this season on a high note. Now, all that hard work from him and his team got washed away after this late-race hiccup sent him packing to the back of the line.

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The 32-year-old driver, fresh off tying his career-best finish of fourth at Daytona, was sitting pretty in 12th in the points race before hitting Las Vegas, a track where he’s previously scored five top-20 finishes. In 2022, rocking the Spire Motorsports banner, he snagged his first top-15 at this 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series, crossing the line P15.

Yet, the twist of fate with his car getting loose and taking a spin was a real bummer.