The safety features on the Next-Gen cars of NASCAR have become a huge talking point after Corey LaJoie’s freak accident at Michigan International Speedway. After making the slightest contact with the No. 10 car during the race, LaJoie was launched into the air, flipping upside down and sliding on the racing surface.

While a lot has already been said about the drawbacks of the Next Gen race car. Particularly regarding its design and lack of power. However, in this instance, it was the safety measure along with a major design flaw that even got Dale Earnhardt Jr. venting out his frustration against NASCAR.

Shades of Ryan Preece’s horrifying Daytona crash at Michigan

Usually, the flaps prevent the racecar from getting airborne, but they were of no use in LaJoie’s case. In fact, after a wild landing with the race car upside down, it flipped once again. This time, after coming into contact with the grass patch on the side of the track, the final few barrel rolls eventually saw the No. 7 car land on four wheels.

Although LaJoie was lucky enough to leave the race car without any major injuries, it certainly became a talking point. Kenny Wallace’s reaction via X caught Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s attention, who certainly didn’t hold any punches in sharing his opinion on the bone-chilling accident.

“For sure. And cars have been flipping in NASCAR since the beginning. It’s an unpleasant consequence of going fast. And we should always go fast,” Dale Jr. shared via his X account. Kenny Wallace brought up the comparison of how the old car, despite having more power, stayed connected to the track. But the packed design of the Next Gen car has seen this kind of freak crash recently.

This crash was reminiscent of how Ryan Preece’s No. 41 was tossed in the air after hitting the grass patch on the racetrack at Daytona. It is indeed hard to wrap your head around the fact that a 3,300-pound racecar acts like a toy on a high-speed racetrack. Therefore, it is fair to say that NASCAR still has a lot of work to do in terms of keeping the drivers inside the cockpit safe and secure.

Corey LaJoie bummed about his ill-fate competing in the Cup Series this year

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The Spire Motorsports driver isn’t having the best of years in terms of performance on the track. But, today, he genuinely felt good about finishing inside the top 10, something he has lost touch with in his recent outings. Little did he know that he would end the race upside down in his racecar, involved in a freak accident.

Sharing his take on the crash, LaJoie, after being released from the in-field car center, said, “That’s just about the way the year’s gone. We have a good car, and I find a way to flip it upside down. Twice this year, we’ve been upside down and I haven’t been upside down my whole career.”

He also shared his feelings towards Noah Gragson, who had no intention of sending LaJoie flying into the air. “The 10 chopped me a couple of times, especially off two. I don’t know I haven’t watched the replay yet if he pulled it off the wall when I was trying to get to his left rear … I think we had a top 12, top 10 car today, and I hate we ended up on our roof,” he added.

Although LaJoie is far from making it to the playoffs, he certainly would want to end his stint at Spire on a good note. He does have a bunch of good opportunities lined up ahead to make that happen.