Speaking of trading banter, remember when Shane van Gisbergen dropped the mic with “save your pennies”, replying to Corey LaJoie’s unusual request that got the NASCAR world chuckling at the driver’s antics?

Let’s back up a bit, SVG, the V8 Supercars legend who shocked the world with his Chicago win last year, has the world chuckling with this sharp wit. Corey LaJoie, who is known for his ‘Stacking Pennies’ podcast, had a rather unique request – he wanted to see more of SVG’s footwork. “I would buy an Onlyfans subscription of@shanevg97’s footwork.”

The Kiwi Speedster schooled the NASCAR superstars during his win at Chicago, all thanks to his footwork. He outpaced the field by almost a second which led to curiosity among his peers about his technique which is called as “heel-toe” – using the right foot to control the accelerator and brake while relying on his left for shifting.

“It’s normal to me, I always right-foot brake and heel-toe. It’s what I’ve grown up doing. But I guess they don’t do that here anymore.” SVG said this to NBC’s Leigh Diffey. And now that LaJoie was again curious about his racecraft on road courses, SVG delivered the goods with a witty reply. “Showing it for free, brother. Save your pennies,” SVG quipped, instantly creating a meme that will continue the NASCAR social media for quite some time.

NASCAR fans were on overdrive with SVG-LaJoie banter

That brings us to the present, Chris Buescher, driver of the number 17 Mustang for RFK Racing, posted a video of his footwork on the daunting and demanding COTA circuit. This video was a fascinating insight into what these drivers go through, or rather their feet go through, during a race, showcasing the effort and precision required to control these 700 horsepower monsters. But social media, being the gem it is, decided to pounce on this opportunity, and have some fun, albeit at the expense of Corey LaJoie.

“Hey, @CoreyLaJoie will pay for this content. Don’t be posting it for free 🤣”, one fan tweeted referencing SVG’s ‘Save your pennies’ quip at LaJoie, adding further “Just had to give you crap Corey. Absolutely love all you do!”, to show it was all in good fun.

The SVG-LaJoie drama has become the perfect platform for the fans to have some harmless fun, with a fan even pointing out, “@CoreyLaJoie now I know this isn’t SVG’s but it’s something and it’s free,” perfectly capturing the spirit of the moment between the two drivers.

Another fan chimed in with “Free footwork? In this economy?!”, while another simply stated, “Don’t tell Corey LaJoie.” The intent behind all these comments and quips from fans is clear, LaJoie’s peculiar request and SVG’s witty reply have taken the NASCAR world by storm, and Buescher’s video was the perfect stage for everyone to have some fun.

Not all the fans were taking digs at Lajoie on Buescher’s video, some saw the video for what it was intended, the sheer skill and talent it takes to drive these monsters around a track again and again, without missing a beat. “There is not enough appreciation for the skill it takes to maneuver these big heavy stock cars around these road courses,” one fan rightly pointed out. Buscher is indeed a master at road courses, remember he was the one who beat SVG to his game last year at Watkins Glen.

This whole episode of banter and witty quips has shown that the dynamic behind the interactions between drivers and fans is changing. What was once a private world behind closed doors is now opening up and even becoming a source of entertainment for fans and drivers alike. 

And it’s not just drivers sharing good humor and fun times with fans, just take a look at Joe Gibbs and his ‘Coach Rizz’ video or Brad Keselowski’s cost-cutting commercial. Drivers and teams have realized that it is important to connect with the fans on a personal level And humor is the way to do it.