Corey LaJoie’s 2024 run in the Cup Series has taken a turn for the worse. Having been shown the exit door by Spire Motorsports, he is practically auditioning for a new opportunity. But, no matter how hard he tries, he ends up creating a mess for himself and others driving around him. And Kyle Busch once again found himself on the receiving end of a LaJoie mistake at Watkins Glen.

It’s fair to say the two drivers already have a history. LaJoie took Busch out of the commission during the race at Pocono earlier this season. The only difference between the two incidents is that LaJoie has come out and owned up to his mistake this time around.

Corey LaJoie expects a payback from Kyle Busch

The bus stop section at Watkins Glen is one of the most tricky turns on the racing venue. NASCAR has removed excess curbing coming into the section and replaced it with rumble strips. LaJoie was struggling to make the corner being crammed up and was relying on the #45 to guide him through the turns. But he completely missed his markers while exiting the corner and overdrove on the curb. Unable to correct his course, he ended up hitting the rear bumper of the #8 Chevy, sparking an early crash.

Next thing you know multiple drivers got caught up in a big pile-up at the very first lap of the race, and it was courtesy of LaJoie’s mistake. Busch at the time didn’t know who caused him to spin and cause the big wreck. “Biggest idiot. Who is the biggest idiot for me?” To which his team owner Richard Childress replied on the radio, stating, “Oh, just the same one that took you out at Pocono.”

Unlike the Pocono incident, Corey LaJoie took responsibility for this muckup. “So I wanted to give the 8 room there, crowded and I ended up coming into his bumper. There’s no excuse for that. My only intention the first lap was to get a single lap and not ruin anybody’s day, and that’s the exact opposite of what happened,” LaJoie said on the Stacking Pennies podcast.

Although Rowdy hasn’t retaliated against his rival on track, LaJoie knows he has pushed his luck too far with the RCR driver. “We haven’t spoken a word; we have been side by side for weeks. There’s a magnet for the 7 and the 8 car, unfortunately, and he’s had the short end of the stick. So I’m just going to wait on payback which is probably due my way,” Lajoie added.

It was indeed surprising to Rowdy not to retaliate against the driver who has been a thorn in his side so far this season. This could be because the RCR star didn’t have a whole lot to lose as he’s not competing in the playoffs. However, the same cannot be said for Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin, who incurred huge damages in terms of points.

Blaney and Hamlin weren’t as lucky as Kyle Busch

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All the drivers who are in the playoffs are under tremendous pressure to perform. A good points day may provide them with a cushion, but all it takes is one bad wreck to foil a good playoff run for any contenders. This is what happened with Ryan Blaney, who lost control of his steering wheel after minimal contact and ended his day with DNF. He did finish 3rd at Atlanta but had to leave the Glen with nothing.

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin found himself caught in other people’s mess for the second straight week running. The #11 car was the one that made a hard hit into the rear of the #8 car after spinning and then rammed into the outside wall. Although his team was able to make the repairs, a 23-place finish doesn’t do him any good. He finds himself below the cutline going into the Bristol race in a must-win situation to keep his championship hopes alive.

The race at Glen was nothing short of a nightmare for the playoff drivers. Only two of the 16 drivers finished with top 10 results; therefore, the night race at Bristol could see drivers throwing a kitchen sink to make it past the first round.