Corey LaJoie, known for his unfiltered thoughts on Stacking Pennies, recently sparked a heated debate in NASCAR fandom when he offered a hot take on Kyle Busch’s legacy—all while putting Joey Logano on a pedestal. While LaJoie’s appreciation for Logano’s racecraft and leadership is understandable, his comments about comparing Logano to Busch haven’t gone down well with everyone. Here’s how LaJoie broke down his perspective.

Right off the bat, LaJoie gave props to Joey Logano, marveling at what he’s accomplished and calling him the kind of guy he’d want to work with. “If I’m working in the sport, right? I want to be on that team,” he said, explaining that Logano’s presence in the garage and on the track makes him someone to admire and, to LaJoie, a teammate of choice. His comments painted a picture of Logano as an ideal driver to align with—but then came the take that’s now lit up social media.

For LaJoie, comparing Busch and Logano means looking only at Cup Series performances, and in doing so, he’s got no hesitation in putting Logano ahead of Busch. “If you took away all of Kyle Busch’s Xfinity and Truck wins and just looked at his case study on Sundays, I’m putting Joey Logano ahead of Kyle Busch on the list,” LaJoie stated. This part is where fans took a step back. Kyle Busch has two Cup championships, and recently Logano achieved his third, but when it comes to his combined stats across NASCAR’s top series, Busch’s wins in Xfinity and Truck arguably set him apart as one of the sport’s biggest names. LaJoie’s suggestion to disregard these records strikes a nerve, especially with Busch’s fans, who feel this downplays his impact on NASCAR.

Corey LaJoie didn’t stop there, though. Reflecting on where he’d rank Logano among the sport’s all-time greats, LaJoie put him “like seventh grade on the list” but followed up with even more praise, calling Logano “one of the greatest” of the current era. LaJoie argued that even if Logano doesn’t have the outright speed of, say, Kyle Larson, he still stands out in “racecraft” and consistency.

“Does he have Kyle Larson’s speed? No,” LaJoie admitted, “but does he have better racecraft than everybody? Probably the best racecraft in the sport.” LaJoie even commended Logano’s leadership and skills in keeping sponsors and teammates satisfied. But he also pointed out one glaring flaw: Logano’s unpopularity with competitors, a reputation that’s stuck around throughout his career.

In the end, LaJoie finished with a striking personal impression of Joey Logano: “There’s nobody more competitive I’ve met in my entire life.” Corey’s admiration for Logano’s grit and tenacity is real. But with Kyle Busch’s fiercely loyal fanbase, Corey’s take felt like a shot at Busch’s career. To them, Busch’s full legacy—Xfinity, Truck, and all—is what makes him an undeniable force in the sport, which they made extremely clear on Reddit. And to dismiss that is, well, something NASCAR fans aren’t going to let slide anytime soon.

Fans upset about Corey LaJoie’s comparison of Kyle Busch and Joey Logano

After Corey LaJoie’s bold comments on Stacking Pennies, NASCAR fans didn’t hold back, taking to social media to call out his take on Joey Logano versus Kyle Busch. First up, some fans saw LaJoie’s comments as nothing more than a friendly bias. “He’s one of Joey’s best friends. I wouldn’t look too deep into this,” one fan commented. This take got a lot of traction because, let’s face it, friendships in the garage can make drivers say things they might not otherwise. But others didn’t see friendship as an excuse, and one person shot back, “Being best friends with someone doesn’t just give you a free pass to say stupid things.” To them, loyalty doesn’t mean putting down a legend like Kyle Busch just to hype up your buddy.

Another fan, clearly more of a Logano fan than a Kyle Busch one, admitted they couldn’t agree with LaJoie’s ranking either. “Joey is one of my top 5 favorites, and I’ve never liked Kyle Busch. I still rank Busch ahead,” they shared. They backed it up, pointing out, “Kyle had 27 wins in a five-year period from ’15 to ’19. That’s insanely good.” Fans like this seem to feel that Busch’s consistency and sheer volume of wins speak for themselves — you can’t just ignore what he’s done in the sport, even if you’re not a fan of his personality. In terms of his stats, Busch goes through a lengthy win drought, ending 2024 without a win.

Then there were those who brought up some on-track history between LaJoie and Busch, like one fan who noted, “Considering how many times he decided to wipe Kyle out this season, it’s no surprise he’d make a comment this stupid.” Ouch. The bumps and scrapes on the track have left a few lingering resentments, and fans don’t think LaJoie’s comments came out of nowhere. Back at the Pocono Raceway in July 2024, Kyle Busch and Corie LaJoie were involved in an incident. It even prompted a threat of sorts from Kyle Busch, who said, “Payback’s coming.” 

But perhaps one of the best reactions nailed the debate with a simple analogy. “If you took Richard Petty’s 200 wins away, I think I would put Terry Labonte above him. See how dumb that sounds?” This fan turned LaJoie’s argument on its head to show just how odd it is to dismiss Busch’s Xfinity and Truck wins when considering his legacy. His performances in both series defined the career that followed for Rowdy. For many fans, it’s about the whole body of work, and leaving out certain parts feels like cherry-picking.

What do you think of Corey LaJoie’s take on Joey Logano being a better driver than Kyle Busch? Do you agree with the Rick Ware Racing driver? Share your thoughts in the comments below.