They say lightning never strikes the same place twice. The proverb was proven wrong at Michigan International Speedway, as both Ryan Sieg and Corey LaJoie suffered upside-down crashes at the same spot on the 2-mile, D-shaped oval. For a track not known for big wrecks, both incidents were quite an eye-opener for everyone involved, sparking debates about the safety of Next-Gen cars and the underlying reasons that forced a flip.

Corey LaJoie, who was behind the wheel of his No. 7 Chevy before making contact with Noah Gragson leading up to the incident, has a theory of his own. Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the Spire Motorsports driver shared his understanding of why his car lifted off from the ground so easily during the crash.

LaJoie suspects the air jack system resulted in Michigan flip

The incident occurred when Corey LaJoie was engaged in an intense battle with Noah Gragson for a position in the top 20. With the final stage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 underway, the Spire Motorsports driver made contact with the left rear of Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang, which resulted in a spin. What followed was very bizarre, as the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevy went airborne before landing on its roof, and went on to scrape the asphalt before skidding onto the grass, where it flipped a few more times.

LaJoie, who was mentally preparing himself to get back onto the pit road for fresh tires after making contact with Gragson, soon realized that he had much bigger problems to deal with. Recalling the incident, the 32-year-old told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “It was in fast forward. I had enough time from initial contact, where I was sliding. I’m like, ‘Okay, damn it, you spun out, let’s hope we don’t have flat spots. Let’s try to get it back to the pits and put tires on it.’ And in the three-tenths of a second I was thinking that I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m upside down. There’s no driving out of this one.’”

Expressing his theory about what led to his car flipping upside down, LaJoie went on to say, “So, I have a theory. I’m probably going to go to the R&D Center and just see if my theory might be accurate about those air jacks potentially letting the right rear tire droop and the car getting up and getting to a platform where the liftoff speed is slower. I don’t know, but we haven’t seen one by itself flip right over like that in a while. So, I’m sure those guys are looking at it.”

The air jack system is a new component installed in Next Gen cars to solve the problem of cars getting stuck on track after getting flat tires. To avoid spending time retrieving vehicles from the racetrack using tow trucks, the system allows cars to lift themselves, ensuring that drivers can guide themselves into the pit road. Not only does it reduce disruptions on the track, but helps drivers not lose valuable laps and get back into the races much faster.

Having already crashed at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year, Corey LaJoie will hope that the R&D department will investigate the reasons behind his flip thoroughly, to avoid a third such crash in the remaining races. NASCAR will be heading to Daytona International Speedway for the penultimate race of the regular Cup Series season, and Corey LaJoie will remember Ryan Preece’s barrel roll flip from 2023. However, the Spire Motorsports driver will not let the risk of wrecking interfere with his aim to get a result at Coke Zero Sugar 400.

No risk, no reward for Corey LaJoie

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It’s no secret that Corey LaJoie is fighting for his future in the NASCAR Cup Series. Having been the face of Spire Motorsports since 2021, the team has parted ways with the driver after results didn’t meet their expectations. With just two races remaining before the playoffs begin at Atlanta Motor Speedway, time is running out for LaJoie to prove himself and secure a spot for the 2025 season. Despite his horrific crash at Michigan, the North Carolina native isn’t letting the incident distract him from the goal of getting a victory.

Speaking about his approach for the race at Daytona International Speedway, Corey LaJoie said, “That’s also the risk you lay. You know you have to put yourself in harm’s way to get the ultimate reward. You know, it’s Daytona for us, and guys outside the Playoffs. This is the highest risk and highest reward place we go to. I’m willing, like I am every Sunday, to assume that risk, tighten the belts, and see if I can’t get our Celsius Camaro in contention to steal a win.”

As things stand, the No. 7 Chevy driver is 31st in the driver standings, with just one top-five and top-ten finish this season, which was at the Daytona 500 earlier this season. LaJoie will take solace in the fact that he will be racing on the same track he finished fourth in, which is also his highest-ever Cup Series finish in his decade-long career at NASCAR’s highest level.

What are your thoughts about Corey LaJoie’s theory regarding the incident at Michigan? Let us know in the comments!