With three races left in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Corey LaJoie is looking to make history.
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LaJoie has the chance to become only the 25th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to go a full season without recording a DNF. This would be the 34th time a driver has recorded a season finishing all the races.
If you think LaJoie isn't aware of this stat, then think again. On LaJoie's podcast "Stacking Pennies with Corey LaJoie," he talked about it.
"Still continued, knock on wood, our only car of the series that doesn't have a DNQ or DNF," LaJoie said. "I saw a stat on Reddit that there's 31 0r 32 people have finished a season with no DNFs. I don't want to speak too soon."
While the No. 7 car crashed at Worldwide Technology Raceway back in June, the driver of that car that race was Carson Hocevar, not LaJoie, who drove the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports, filling in for the suspended Chase Elliott.
TIL @CoreyLaJoie doesn't have a single recorded DNF this year. If he makes it through Phoenix without DNFing, that'll only be the 34th time for a full-time Cup driver. (via u/i_hate_shitposting) https://t.co/zgpkmRtwdQ #NASCAR
— r/NASCAR on Reddit (@NASCARonReddit) October 11, 2023
From 2007-2015, there was at least one full-time driver every season who recorded a season without a DNF. Since 2016, it has only happened four times. Introduced in 2017, NASCAR's stage points system may be a reason why DNFs are more prevalent because racing tends to intensify as drivers jockey for position at the end of a stage.
Completing a season without a DNF is not an easy thing to do in the NASCAR Cup Series, and legends such as Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Kyle Busch never accomplished the feat. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick has completed four seasons without a DNF (2003, 2007, 2008 and 2020), and Denny Hamlin is the driver to do it most recently when he completed all the races without a DNF in 2021.
Corey LaJoie will be looking to be the latest driver to add his name to the list of those who have avoided a DNF in a season—an additional area of interest to fans to watch as the NASCAR season winds down with its final three races.
More: Carson Hocevar Gets Full-Time Cup Ride With Spire Motorsports
