Not every driver from Hendrick Motorsports had a flawless day on the track. Kyle Larson, the team’s standout star in the Cup Series, initially surged to the front. However, his promising start took a turn for the worse when he lost control of his No. 5 Chevrolet and crashed into the wall on lap 56. Chase Briscoe’s subsequent collision with Larson ended his race early. Despite Larson’s misfortune, his teammates performed admirably, all securing top-ten finishes. Nevertheless, Chase Elliott encountered some unexpected difficulties, disrupting what had otherwise been a successful day.
**Corey LaJoie’s Departure and Pit Road Troubles**
Corey LaJoie, who has gained a reputation in the Cup Series similar to that of Hailie Deegan, is set to leave his long-time team, Spire Motorsports, at the end of the season. This transition raises questions about whether it contributed to the pit road incident at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Chase Elliott, however, does not place much blame on LaJoie for the mishap. Echoing his pit road troubles from February, Elliott faced a similar issue during the Quaker State 400. During a pit stop, he radioed in to say he thought his wheels were aligned correctly, which might have contributed to a clash with Austin Cindric’s car.
As Elliott tried to regain control, LaJoie’s No. 7 moved to the left, creating a three-wide situation with Elliott sandwiched between LaJoie and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Despite the close quarters and minor contact, Elliott felt it didn’t significantly affect his car’s performance. He remarked, “I don’t think it impacted how it drove, not under these circumstances. I think we got pretty lucky on that.” He did acknowledge LaJoie’s role, saying, “I was coming out, there was someone to my outside and then the 7 jumped out. It’s always hard to see if there’s anyone to their left, but certainly, the 7 made it three-wide, and it’s extremely narrow.”
This pit road incident was the only significant setback in Elliott’s race. Starting from 16th, he maneuvered his car into 8th place by the end of stage 2 and maintained that position through to the finish. Elliott was pleased with his performance, stating, “I think we did our job today, can’t speak for the next two weeks. Thought we had a solid day overall and stayed out of most of the mess, got a couple stage points, and got a solid finish. So, I don’t have anything to be upset about.”
**Continued Pit Road Issues for Chase Elliott**
While the pit road issue seemed isolated and accidental, it brings to mind a similar situation from just a month ago. The incident at Atlanta wasn’t the first time Chase Elliott faced pit road challenges. He narrowly avoided jeopardizing his race today, but at Indianapolis, he wasn’t so lucky. Elliott received a penalty for violating the blend line rule after his pit stop on lap 25. His car drifted out of the acceleration lane and crossed two painted white lines, a violation that led to a penalty.
Elliott, along with his crew, struggled to understand the rule, with even Kyle Larson expressing confusion. “None of us knew what the rule was,” Larson noted. Crew chief Alan Gustafson sought clarification, while Larson later explained, “Afterwards, I think Chad Knaus (vice president of competition at HMS) was getting our opinion. Drivers on a group text were in, all that. When I was here for the 500, you’re allowed to kind of straddle that first white line. You’re not allowed to get your lefts over it. I was kind of used to that and did that on Friday. I think it was Saturday probably before the Xfinity race, I think they had released the rule.”
It seems that Chase Elliott’s troubles with pit road continue to follow him. Despite these challenges, he remains in a relatively comfortable position, holding 20 points above the cutline after the Atlanta race.
Chase Elliott’s Bold Move: Calls Out Corey LaJoie for Risky 3-Wide Maneuver That Nearly Wrecked Atlanta Race”
