NASCAR to further evaluate Corey LaJoie’s car after bizarre flip
BROOKLYN, Mich. — NASCAR will take Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 car back to the R&D Center for further evaluation after a bizarre flip Monday at Michigan.
On lap 137 of the FireKeepers Casino 400, LaJoie was trying to pass Noah Gragson when he made contact with Gragson’s left-rear quarter panel. The contact sent LaJoie spinning down the backstretch. The car flipped over, slid on its roof and then flipped one more time before coming to rest in the grass.
Incidents like these, often called “blowovers,” usually happen in situations where an external force causes the spinning car to lift, such as:
- Another car pushing into them (e.g., Kyle Sieg the day before LaJoie at Michigan).
- Damage to the quarter panel (e.g., Ryan Newman at Talladega in 2009)
- A sudden change in the surface (e.g., Ryan Preece last year at Daytona)
None of those factors appeared to be present in the crash. The new flaps on the diffuser also didn’t appear to deploy when looking at the replay.
NASCAR confirmed an inspector looked over Kyle Sieg’s car at the track and decided not to take it back to the R&D Center.
LaJoie’s car is one of five cars going back to the R&D Center after Michigan.
MORE: Multiple cars going to NASCAR R&D Center after Michigan
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com