There is no place that has more beefs between two people than in NASCAR, and that was no different coming out of Atlanta Motor Speedway between Corey LaJoie and Erik Jones.
It looks as if Jones, who drives the No. 43 Chevy for Legacy Motor Club, and LaJoie, who drives the No. 7 Chevy for Spire Motorsports, have something they need to settle.
Both drivers have had decent success at Atlanta since the track was reconfigured into a drafting-style track. However, that didn't stop the two from making contact during the Quaker State 400 on July 9.
Here is the incident which started after contact between Erik Jones and Corey LaJoie. Chastain got a big hop with his contact. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/9UdCEbdVG9
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) July 10, 2023
LaJoie's strong run was wiped out when he and Jones came into contact with each other, causing LaJoie's No. 7 car to spin and hit the wall.
Do Corey LaJoie and Erik Jones Have Beef?
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
It seems as if the two have had issues with each other longer than just on Sunday, as LaJoie discussed in a new episode of his "Stacking Pennies" podcast. LaJoie's co-host, Ryan Flores, asked him about the incident with the No. 43 at Atlanta. Corey happily obliged and went into the history between Jones and himself.
"Yeah, he's wrecked me like three times and I race him hard because he has wrecked me before in the past several times," LaJoie said. "Bristol Dirt, Dover last year, and a couple of other places. He just, I think him and I just race each other super tight, but he's come out on the better end of it a couple of times."
New Stacking Pennies Episode out now!
? : Erik Jones Beef
? : Bowman Gray Beef
? : Extra Beef on the sideListen:
Apple: https://t.co/moPLetiRQa
Spotify: https://t.co/d3sd5l8yNT
Web: https://t.co/VZkd3OIhyX pic.twitter.com/Ppzt0jIbb4— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 13, 2023
LaJoie continued talking about exactly what happened between Jones and him.
"So, if you're following somebody straight on, you're a little bit tight. But if you start showing your right-front headlight or right-side door, it piles a bunch of front downforce in it. And that's what makes you looser," LaJoie said. "So if I was needing to block a run on top I would have to put myself into a worse aero position and less load because the banking, like as you go higher, the load of the car is less and less. So I just couldn't cover. Found myself in the middle. The 43 tried holding it wide open and got in the left rear and then it was over for us."
LaJoie was able to limp his badly damaged No. 7 car to a 31st-place finish in the rain-shortened event. It's not quite what he needed as he fights to play spoiler for a playoff spot.
There are a number of ways for a driver to deal with a beef with another driver. They can ignore it, talk about it or even fight about it. This year has already seen plenty of beefs between drivers, with Noah Gragson and Ross Chastain choosing the fight route.
Jones and LaJoie kept it civil and didn't fight, but they did have a chat following the race in Atlanta.
LaJoie discussed what went down with Jones post-race on the podcast.
"Well, so got crashed, right?" LaJoie said. "Boom, boom. Bounced back and forth. My guys got the toe somewhat back straight and we rode around and finished the race until it started raining. So I get out and I was walking to the pit box, and in between the pit box and my car was Erik Jones and his crew. Him and I exchanged some words, and I don't anticipate him driving me quite as hard."
Well, this will definitely be something to keep an eye on moving forward. NASCAR has never been one to not have drivers mad at each other.
