How early is too early to initiate discord among fellow drivers in the Cup Series? Well, it seems that it is as early as the season-opener race of the Daytona 500. The curtain-raising race of the season has been mired in a series of controversies that have been the talk of the town since the culmination of the race. While the announcement of the race winner had created a furor among the fans, it was the final lap wreck that initiated a discord between Corey LaJoie and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric.

It’s not every day that Austin Cindric lashes out at his fellow drivers, but the 66th Daytona 500 seemed to be an exception. The Team Penske driver threw a jab at the Spire Motorsports driver and accused him of wrecking the final lap of the race. As a result, the #7 Chevrolet driver tried to defend his act with proof on his podcast Stacking Pennies, but it seems that it backfired on LaJoie. The NASCAR community demanded credibility and questioned the driver’s talent before starting a feud with Cindric.

Corey LaJoie tries to defend his Daytona 500 move that wrecked Austin Cindric

The final few laps of the Daytona 500 race were nothing less than a nail-biting thriller unfolding in bits. While a handful of drivers seemed to be the potential winner, it was Hendrick Motorsports’ young prodigy William Byron, who was declared as the winner in the caution-filled track. Although Byron’s win stirred a series of controversies in the racing paddock, it was the final stage wreck that involved Austin Cindric, Corey LaJoie, and Ross Chastain, which garnered more attention.

The incident occurred at the pivotal moment of the race and Cindric was on the verge of taking the lead in the race. However, LaJoie inadvertently started the final wreck in the race while trying to fill in a gap. However, he made contact with Cindric, sending him careening to Ross Chastain’s path. Owing to this, Cindric lost his chance of securing his second Daytona 500 winner. Furthermore, in his post-race interview, the Team Penske driver lashed out at LaJoie for causing the wreck. On the contrary, the Spire Motorsports driver on his podcast tried to defend his move. He stated, “It goes back to his quote with Bob Pockrass and the video he made congratulating me for a top four, which I really appreciate because he should, I worked hard for that.”

Trying to rewind back to the incident of the race, LaJoie asserted, “I get a big run, Ross Chastain’s to my right rear corner[…] He said that I wrecked him, you can clearly see that the Melon Man hung a left off his right front tire and dragged them down into the grass. If we run it back, I don’t know what to do for you there, it’s the last lap you are coming to the white.”

Read More: Rick Hendrick’s Superstar Remains Tight-lipped On The One Track He Would Burn Down: “That’s The One I Talk Sh*t About”

“The #16 was pushing me really hard, I was trying to drag brake, but that hole opened up, I kind of filled it but I didn’t wreck him. But clearly, his race was ended and his finish was impeded by the #1 trying to make that bold move down to the bottom to go under the #24 and it didn’t work out for either of them. Hate it for him,” LaJoie concluded.

After hearing LaJoie’s side of the story, his co-host and a member of Team Penske expressed, “Beef dude. Beef early in the season. Why you got to start beef with my guy?”

While Corey LaJoie did not state any apparent reason for sparking a feud with Austin Cindric, it was the racing fans who seemed to question the validity of the claims made by LaJoie and raised questions about the talent of the driver.

NASCAR netizens lash out at Corey LaJoie questioning his racing caliber

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Fans took to Twitter and stated, 

“And Corey has done…..what, exactly to be kept around?”

“Absolutely nothing but run his mouth on his podcast.”

“Corey sure does like to talk for someone who’s won absolutely nothing.”

Although LaJoie is yet to notch a victory in his Cup Series, he has proved that he has the caliber to turn the tables by snatching a surprising victory in the race. However, NASCAR fans seem to say otherwise after the driver locked horns with Cindric.

Other fans also stated, “I looked at his stats 30 min ago and my jaw dropped when i learned that he has never won a national series race.”

“BUT He AlMosT WOn Atlanta ‘Ok? And?’”

Also Read: Conceited Ross Chastain Refuses to Apologise, Deems Last Lap Wreckout a Massive Daytona Breakthrough

Nevertheless, with that being said, it will be interesting to see if Corey LaJoie is able to prove his critics wrong in the upcoming Atlanta race and notch a victory to hush the harsh criticism against him and his talent.