KTMLew01
Team Owner
What say ye experts.
I wasn't paying much attention to the broadcast but appears he ran no better in a "good car" than in his usual. I put the quotes in because I see some saying the 25th-3? are junk. All the cars are the same now. Only difference is the people preparing them & the driver.I figured from the first it was north easterners driving the ship. He never has made a ripple as far as I am concerned and only gets his name called when he hits something most of the time. His place is lower mid pack. He does decent there.
He had never sat in a cup car before that Vegas race, and it’s not as similar of a vehicle as it used to be. Corey runs a NextGen car of the same manufacturer every week, that he claims is bottom of the barrel equipment, and runs better in it half the time than he ran today. Then you have Carson Hocevar who has never started a cup race come in and outrun him the first half of the race in that “bad” equipment. It doesn’t look good on him. I think he spent all weekend overdriving the car trying to be a hero and making mistakes. Even in practice and qualifying.Josh Berry ran 2 races for Spire in 2021. He finished 30th and 26th.
In his first event as Elliott’s #9 replacement driver at Las Vegas, he finished 29th - 2 laps down. His average finish after 8 races in HMS cars is 18.9 … but he’s “earned” a Cup ride.
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Not everyone can be or needs to be in a great car. Corey hasn’t shown that by any stretch of the imagination. I do think he does a relatively good job with Spire.
The 9 wasn't that great and they lost communications on top of it from the war wagon and the throttle data etc. My opinion was based before he got to the 9 car. I thought he would do better in the 9 car. He walled it in practice to start off with.I wasn't paying much attention to the broadcast but appears he ran no better in a "good car" than in his usual. I put the quotes in because I see some saying the 25th-3? are junk. All the cars are the same now. Only difference is the people preparing them & the driver.
Was the #9 that bad today or was it the driver?
He tried to hero the car and overdrove it. But the 9 is one of if not the weakest HMS car this season. Alan just doesn't seem to have the next gen car figured out near as well as his peers at HMS. Cliff and Kyle are flat running circles around Alan and Chase. Crazy how they went from winningest team last year to suddenly falling off a cliff just after halfway in the season and never regaining a foothold, despite their teammates being class of the field so far this year. I really wonder if it was one of those deals where whatever they had last year that had Chase hot was found by NASCAR and HMS was quietly told "don't bring that back or else."
Yeah I think this is more to do with it than anything. They were really good at California, finished 2nd, then spent the next 6 weeks getting feedback and notes from a fill in and it's just been catch up since then.I would believe it’s because their marque driver has missed what half the races this season? The 9 car was a lemon and I think that has more to do with why Corey struggled than him just sucking. Berry wasn’t 100% sure what he was looking for in this nextgen and hasn’t been able to relay the needed info to be better. Corey not being in a quality ride before wasn’t much better im sure
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He tried to hero the car and overdrove it. But the 9 is one of if not the weakest HMS car this season. Alan just doesn't seem to have the next gen car figured out near as well as his peers at HMS. Cliff and Kyle are flat running circles around Alan and Chase. Crazy how they went from winningest team last year to suddenly falling off a cliff just after halfway in the season and never regaining a foothold, despite their teammates being class of the field so far this year. I really wonder if it was one of those deals where whatever they had last year that had Chase hot was found by NASCAR and HMS was quietly told "don't bring that back or else."
Yep, Hendrick needed someone in a hurry to replace crash cargo and they were able to get Lajoie. There aren't many drivers they could choose from that could get loose, drop everything, and drive the 9 car. A team that continues to get further behind the 8 ball every week.Cory Lajoie is and always will be, a field filler, nothing more nothing less.
This, with hush puppies, cole slaw, and baked beans. This refutes the position that Corey didn't have time to get comfy in the #9 as a one-race emergency backup.Corey runs a NextGen car of the same manufacturer every week, that he claims is bottom of the barrel equipment, and runs better in it half the time than he ran today. Then you have Carson Hocevar who has never started a cup race come in and outrun him the first half of the race in that “bad” equipment.
Agreed. But as a fan of his I would like to see him get a chance in a little bit better of a ride for a season or two and maybe get a win if everything aligns on a random Sunday.Cory Lajoie is and always will be, a field filler, nothing more nothing less.
Me thinks Cory does an excellent job of promoting himself and that works if you buy into the story. I like the guy, but when you have been driving as long as he has and you seldom if ever see him carrying the car to better finishes than the car deserves, it's time to start giving him the fish eye. He's back in the 7 this week and he had better shut his yap and be grateful he has that car to drive in cup IMO. Hello jobless next year Hocevar ya know what I mean?
Another great example I didn’t think of. If up to alot of people here. Bowman wouldn’t be in the 48 right now since like you said. he didn’t do much start in Jr’s car.When LaJoie was in K&N with Larson and Elliott, he was up there competing with them so there is merit to the thought that he has talent that is being held back by his equipment.
I think he’s a fringe Chase contender and in the right equipment might win a race per year but it’s hard to tell. Some guys need time to adjust. Alex Bowman didn’t set the world on fire in his first start filling in for Dale Jr. and look at how that turned out.