Corey LaJoie was the center of attraction at the Gateway. With him subbing in for the pilot of the #9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, his chance at the big stage was much anticipated. LaJoie’s performance has come short of expectations, however. His race was marred with weather issues that further catalyzed the slip-up. While it was a dream come true for the 31-year-old, his experience in the seat of Chase Elliott was forgettable. And he certainly made it clear through his radio this weekend.

His frustration was evident as the car underwent a shutdown mid-race. It was a truly tragic ending for LaJoie, who looked to seize the opportunity in Illinois.

Corey LaJoie Mistakenly Pushes the Kill Switch On Hendrick Motorsports’ Debut

The Spire Motorsports driver was off to a silly start at the World Wide Technology Raceway. To start off, while shifting grers, he pressed the kill switch. The replacement for Chase Elliott, however was fortunate enough to get red flags.

Looking at the NASCAR radio release from the race, Corey’s response to the situation summarizes his weekend. Filled with frustration, he will be looking to move on from this bump.

“This “f***ing” thing just shut off! The on-off switch just shut off when I pulled it to fourth gear,” is what LaJoie had to say after the accidental failure.

Crew chief Alan Gustafson came to the rescue, as he suggests checking on the status of the vehicle kill switch. It seems that LaJoie turned off the system while he was shifting. He took a brief moment to get up to speed before heading to the pit road.

It seems that the nerves got the better of Corey on this occasion. On the plus side, LaJoie got a delay to start again. Tyler Reddick spun his car on the second lap and the field was warned. The race also saw a great drive from LaJoie’s replacement at Spire, Carson Hocevar, who also had a poor finish owing to rotor failure.

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LaJoie Was Fired Up Before His the Unfortunate Show in Chase Elliott’s Car

Prior to the Enjoy Illinois 300, Corey spoke with Fox Sports and his words showed his preparation for the race. Speaking to the FOX personnel Jamie Little, he said “I hope to do Chase [Elliott] a great job, champion guy so it’s definitely a tough situation to jump in and fill in with a championship team with Alan and the entire NAPA 9 team. But I’m up to the challenge and I’m ready to go.”

In case you were unaware, the #7 driver previously indicated interest in taking over Jimmie Johnson’s position at Hendrick Motorsports in 2020. Despite the failure of his proposition, three years later, fate gave him another opportunity that he couldn’t utilize to his strength.

Although he will be looking to move on from this minor incident, he must be cursing his luck for something like this to happen on his HMS debut.

Watch This Story: Fans Mock NASCAR After They Suffered Technology Issue at World Technology Raceway