With the moonlight glowing over Darlington Raceway, Corey LaJoie went dancing with The Lady in Black.
The famed Southern 500 (Sept. 1) lived up to its reputation once again, proving that Darlington has been and always will be The Track Too Tough to Tame. With several drivers victimized by the grind of the race, others went for a pleasant stroll with the crown jewel track.
LaJoie’s race was more like a stumble before it became smooth, but it ended with him capturing his first top 10 on a non-superspeedway by finishing ninth.
A crash on lap 2 appeared to foreshadow what was to come. However, most of the race turned into a masterclass by Kyle Larson, who ran roughshod over the field for the majority of the night. That next-level performance put LaJoie a lap down early, limiting what progression he could make as the laps went in the books.
Stage finishes of 22nd and 23rd mired LaJoie in the field, but Darlington’s lady was not ready to loosen her grip. A simple spin by teammate Carson Hocevar on lap 314 opened the floodgates for cautions to breed cautions, eventually allowing LaJoie to return to the lead lap.
Varying tire strategies and accidents by other drivers allowed LaJoie to climb the leaderboard, setting him up for a shot at the top 10. He made the most of that opportunity, driving up to ninth when the checkered flag flew.
The result is the 10th top 10 of LaJoie’s career in 262 NASCAR Cup Series starts. Yet, as mentioned above, his previous nine all came on drafting tracks, making Darlington a crucial line to cross in his career.
The 32-year-old had opportunities this year to achieve that milestone. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, LaJoie ran inside the top five before a late incident derailed his day. He finished one spot short in 11th at Sonoma Raceway, then he was caught up in another incident late in the race at Nashville Superspeedway.
With his future in doubt, a top 10 at one of NASCAR’s toughest tracks is certainly beneficial in his audition for his next opportunity. LaJoie told Frontstretch‘s Stephen Stumpf after the race that his phone has been ringing, and he is optimistic results like Darlington will have the phone buzzing even more.
Notable Underdog Runs
Once again, Todd Gilliland capped the night off with a top 20 by finishing 17th, but this one came by a much more difficult path.
Gilliland wasted no time in charging his way forward after a disappointing 33rd-place qualifying effort, gaining 21 positions in stage one to finish it in 12th. Stage two reflected the same speed, as the Front Row Motorsports driver headed into the final frame in 14th.
Despite his consistency throughout the night, Gilliland’s race turned in the wrong direction on lap 322. While racing Chris Buescher for 15th in turn 2, Gilliland washed up and made contact with Buescher, sending him into the wall. Buescher, who was trying to race his way into the playoffs, then turned Gilliland, causing minor damage to the No. 38.
Fortunately for Gilliland, the wild ending to the race allowed him to stop some of the bleeding, and he recovered for his 15th top 20 of the year, matching his 2023 total.
While the race turned heel in a flurry, the effects of the long green flag runs still showed among the underdog results. LaJoie and Gilliland were the only drivers inside the top 20. Just outside was a driver who experienced the highlight of his career a week ago, Harrison Burton.
The Wood Brothers Racing driver backed up his playoff-sealing victory at Daytona International Speedway with a 21st-place showing after falling two laps down during the race. He heads into the playoffs as the 14th seed, immediately tied for the final position to make the Round of 12.
Chase Briscoe may have been the upset winner of the weekend, but if it was going to happen, many pegged Erik Jones as someone who could do it. In spite of a horrific season for Legacy Motor Club, Jones is a two-time Southern 500 winner, including one in his No. 43 that came two years ago. And after setting the fastest lap in practice, a walk-off win didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility.
However, after making several moves forward at the beginning of the race, another issue out of Jones’ control hampered his night, as an apparent steering issue relegated him to a 24th-place finish.
Hocevar also seemed like a long shot dark horse after a valiant qualifying effort. The rookie’s impressive season added another notch by virtue of his career-high qualifying effort, laying down a lap to put him on the front row. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate to race pace, as Hocevar slipped back to running just inside the top 20.
His spin with just over 50 laps remaining was just the beginning of his problems. A right-front tire failure on lap 336 sent Hocevar’s No. 77 into the wall and ultimately the garage, leaving him in 33rd at the end of the night.
What They’re Saying
LaJoie (ninth):
Burton (21st):
Who’s Really the Top Dog?
As we enter the final 10-race stretch of the season, the battle for the most golds continues to be neck-and-neck. Gilliland’s margin stretched out even more in the race for silver, while Burton joined the list of drivers to earn all three medals this season.
Gold: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (4x), Jones (4x), Hocevar (4x), John Hunter Nemechek (2x), AJ Allmendinger (2x), Gilliland (2x), Zane Smith (2x), LaJoie (2x), Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Joey Hand, Burton
Silver: Gilliland (8x), Haley (2x), Allmendinger (2x), Hemric (2x), Nemechek (2x), Stenhouse Jr. (2x), Hocevar (2x), Burton, Smith, Ty Dillon, Anthony Alfredo, LaJoie, Cody Ware
Bronze: Stenhouse (4x), Nemechek (3x), LaJoie (3x), Gilliland (3x), Hocevar (3x), Jones (2x), Kaz Grala, Shane van Gisbergen, Haley, Allmendinger, Hemric, Smith, Burton, Parker Retzlaff
Small Team Scheme of the Race
The summer days may be starting to dwindle, but that doesn’t mean the grilling shouldn’t stop. Rick Ware Racing took that to heart with online butcher meats company Meat N’ Bone sporting its colors in Grala’s return to the No. 15.
The flames on the side still gave off the summer vibes as fall begins to loom, and if the scheme makes you want to go fire the grill right now, you wouldn’t be alone. Grala finished 34th.
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.
A blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then! Some drivers have finishes they don’t usually get or deserve.
10 races and we don’t have to hear or watch LaJoie in cup ever again.