Corey LaJoie is the perfect example of preparation meets opportunity. The recent suspension of Chase Elliott following an apparently intentional hit at Denny Hamlin has made way for LaJoie to enter the Hendrick Motorsports garage. The latest addition to the talented roster of Hendrick Motorsports looks ready to get the party going.

The latest opening at Hendrick Motorsports following Elliott’s suspension was a chance for many. But the decision from the Rick Hendrick-owned franchise does not come as a surprise looking at the evolution of LaJoie. In a recent interview, the new driver of the #9 Camaro talks about the preparation and expectations around the news.

Corey LaJoie talks about the intense pressure around the job and cites Connor McGregor

Sometimes a pinch of inspiration can act like a cue to follow. The same goes for LaJoie, who makes the switch from Spire Motorsports to HMS. During the pre-race press conference at the World Wide Technology Raceway, LaJoie was asked if he sees a difference in himself compared to the past. The 31-year-old replied, “Man, a lot. […] I was watching that Netflix documentary on Connor McGregor on the way up here and that will fire you up, for one. But he had this quick saying.

“He’s training and the lead-up before the fight with Khabib, and he was mad. He just wasn’t focused and the chip on his shoulder was weighing him down as opposed to motivating him. And he said that whether it was – don’t eat that, then I ate it.”

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“So you string together these defeats, like these mental defeats, and then you don’t feel confident that when the big challenge comes that you can rise to the occasion,” he added. It seems LaJoie has prepared himself well before taking up the hot seat.

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LaJoie reveals the performance pressure at Hendrick Motorsports

The Hendrick Motorsports seat is one of the most demanding seats in NASCAR. Constantly striving to win and improve, the HMS crew members of Rick Hendrick have always set their eyes on the win. It is only natural that the mentality in the team camp will be massively different.

Later on, in the same press conference, Corey talked about a walkthrough into the Hendrick call-up. Revealing his schedule for the last two quarters of the year, he says, “So the last six or eight months, maybe a little less than that, have been like me preparing for today just not knowing if it’d ever come. It would just be like getting rid of those small defeats of – if you’re going to wake up at 5:30 a.m., you’re going to wake up at 5:30 a.m. If you’re going to workout at 7:00 a.m., you’re getting there at 6:50 a.m. “

The #7 driver then takes up the topic of work ethics at the HMS camp. “Leaning into the work and just not making excuses or exceptions to the pursuit of the person that you want to be. Not the person that you are, but the person you’re striving to be. And then you go to Hendrick (Motorsports) and you see that there’s 500 people over there that have the same mentality, and it’s like – OK, that’s why they’re so freaking good.”

A spot has also opened up for Carson Hocevar who has expressed his interest in the #7 seat for quite some time. Fair to say, the suspension of Elliott has proved to be a blessing for some in disguise.

Corey Lajoie’s Deserved Opportunity Unexpectedly Becomes Chase Elliott’s Nightmare as Fans Get Honest