Daniel Hemric had waited years for this moment. Under the bright Martinsville Speedway lights, the 34-year-old veteran climbed from his truck, stood on the roof, and executed a perfect backflip—a celebration he hadn’t performed since winning the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. The crowd roared as Hemric delivered a thrilling victory in the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200, securing his first-ever Truck Series win.

“I’ve walked out of here twice thinking there’s a missing spot in my dining room for a clock, so it’s cool to finally get one here,” Hemric said, referencing the coveted grandfather clock trophy. However, it wasn’t an easy path to Victory Lane. With 35 laps to go, Hemric was sitting in sixth place while Corey Heim appeared to be cruising towards victory. Heim had led 149 laps, but a late-race incident with Kaden Honeycutt cut his tire and sent him spinning.

That left Hemric, and his teammate, Tyler Ankrum, to battle it out in the closing laps. With five laps remaining, Hemric nudged Ankrum up the track, took the lead, and held on for the win. But while Hemric’s triumph was being celebrated, another driver’s name surfaced unexpectedly—Corey LaJoie. As Hemric took center stage, LaJoie found himself under scrutiny from fans, leading to a heated exchange on social media.

A missed opportunity for Corey LaJoie!

Daniel Hemric’s victory should have been all about him, but it quickly became a talking point among NASCAR fans for another reason. It highlighted Corey LaJoie’s absence from the Truck Series. A fan took to social media to call him out, suggesting that Hemric’s ride in the No. 19 truck could have been his, had he not made certain career choices.

“Hey @CoreyLaJoie, I was watching the race despite it being Friday. And I saw more than 12 people in the grandstands. That ride could have been yours, but enjoy the bed you made for yourself,” the user posted. However, LaJoie didn’t stay silent. He clapped back with a strong response: “Thanks for the love note. I couldn’t be happier for Daniel; he and Bill deserve all the success that’s going to come their way this year. When you pray about something and the answer is ‘no,’ then there’s no reason to look back and wonder ‘what if.’”

His response made it clear—he had no regrets. But why had LaJoie turned down a championship-level ride in the Truck Series in the first place? Earlier this year, LaJoie received an offer to drive the No. 19 truck, a top-tier ride. He declined. He believed that staying in the Cup Series, even part-time, was better for his career.

While speaking about it in January 2025, LaJoie had said, “Those guys that say they want to try to win, they win one or two truck races a year, and then they’re lifelong truck guys, and they never get to race on Sunday. It’s all about Sunday.” He made it clear that his priority was competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, even if it meant fewer opportunities to win races. Notably, in 2025, LaJoie joined Rick Ware Racing for a part-time Cup run. He also works as an analyst for Prime Video’s NASCAR coverage.

This is a step down from his full-time Cup ride with Spire Motorsports in 2024. At 33 years old, LaJoie has spent the last several years fighting to prove himself at NASCAR’s highest level. He has yet to win a race in the Cup Series, but he’s been competitive, especially on superspeedways. In 2022 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, LaJoie nearly won but crashed late. Despite that, he believes racing in the Cup Series, even with a mid-tier team, is better for his career. However, as the drama unfolded, another Cup Series driver found himself in the spotlight, but for a much different reason.

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Bubba Wallace reveals his most embarrassing moment!

While Corey LaJoie was clapping back at critics, Bubba Wallace made headlines for something far less serious—his most embarrassing moment on the track. During an appearance on LaJoie’s podcast, Stacking Pennies, Wallace shared a story from the 2022 season that still haunted him. It had nothing to do with a bad race or a wreck. Instead, it was a longboarding accident at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

“Just busting my a– on a longboard at COTA. Dude, I was hurting! I was hurting for like a week. My hip—internally, I was limping hard. I still have a scar on my arm. It looks like a Buffalo Bills logo,” Wallace laughed. Notably, the accident wasn’t just painful—it was humiliating. Wallace had just passed Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Julia Suarez, and team owner Justin Marks when it happened. Seconds later, he lost his balance and went down hard, right in front of them. “The best part was that I had just passed them, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I got this.’ And then—boom—I hit the deck,” he added.

Luckily, Wallace walked away with nothing more than bruises and a damaged ego. But he learned his lesson. The next year, he ditched the longboard and switched to a scooter. Now, almost three years later, Wallace is currently fighting for his first win in the ongoing season. The 23XI Racing driver has had a decent start. Last week at Homestead-Maimi, he finished in the Top 5 after leading a few laps. The upcoming race at Martinsville might pave his way to victory lane.