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…
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