After the controversial suspension of Chase Elliott, the champion team was once again in need of a replacement driver. This was not the first time team owner Mr. H had to search for a pilot to fill the gap left by the “Golden Boy.” At the beginning of the season, Elliott had already missed his first six races due to injury, during which Josh Berry replaced him and delivered an outstanding performance.

Once again, due to a one-race penalty after Coke 600, someone needed to take Elliott’s seat for the World Wide Technology Speedway. Team owner Hendrick was determined to find a better driver who could bring them valuable points. Then, a tweet caught everyone’s attention, indicating that Corey LaJoie, a driver for Spire Motorsports, would be replacing Elliott.

Recently, Corey LaJoie revealed an interesting incident that occurred before his selection. Prior to the alarm of his seat being raised, he lived through a driver’s worst nightmare, further adding to the intrigue surrounding his involvement with the team.

Corey LaJoie on How He Almost Missed the Opportunity to Drive for Mr. Hendrick

Corey LaJoie had been eagerly seeking an opportunity to drive for a top team in the Cup series. He had previously attempted to secure a spot by replacing Jimmie Johnson in 2020, but unfortunately, the efforts didn’t come to fruition. So it is safe to say that the gateway run was even more special to the #7 driver.

In a recent tweet shared by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, we see LaJoie open up about a small mistake and how that could have potentially altered his chance of getting a seat at #9.

He started, “Tuesday night I am getting to bed at 9:15. I just check my phone one last time before I get to bed and there’s the Charlotte number missed call and there’s Charlotte number voicemail. You know when I opened it up, “Hey Corey it’s Rick Hendrick here just wanted to thank you for filling for Chase (…) and Call me if you need anything.”

For sure, Corey was going to regret and be disappointed that he has missed a call that he was looking for so long. But his wife told him to call Mr. H the next day in the morning.

“So when I went out for next morning and was driving to the shop at seven and called to Hendrick and I figured Mr. H is the early riser ride the early bird gets the warm he’s got a lot of warms in there so I just figured that he’s an early bird himself so I called him,” Corey said.

“He was obviously awake and answered the phone, ‘Hey Mr. Hendrick it’s Corey and if I told you that driving for your dream come true I’d be understatement’. So I just appreciate the opportunity to fill in for a champion and with the champion team. (…)I’m really looking forward to it.” LaJoie concluded.

This is how Corey LaJoie kept his chance to take up the seat for one of the most decorated teams in NASCAR. However, his performance was marred by unfortunate circumstances as his car unexpectedly shut down in the middle of the race. Despite his best efforts, LaJoie was unable to make a significant impact due to mechanical failure.

Watch This Story: Fans Mock NASCAR After They Suffered Technology Issue at World Technology Raceway

Corey LaJoie Vent Out His Frustration Over His Mistake on His HMS Debut

Undoubtedly, Corey LaJoie was the center of attention for everyone at the World Wide Technology Speedway. His fans had high expectations for a strong performance. However, his race took an unfortunate turn when he experienced a mid-race shutdown, ultimately finishing in 21st place.

The incident occurred while LaJoie was shifting gears and inadvertently pressed the kill switch. Overheard on the radio, Corey expressed his frustration after the accidental failure, “This f**ing” thing just shut off! The on-off switch just shut off when I pulled it to fourth gear.”

“This F**king Thing Just Turned Off” – Hendrick Motorsports Debutant Vents His Misery Over Radio While Driving Chase Elliott’s Car

However, when Corey’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, went to assess the situation, he discovered that LaJoie had accidentally turned off the system while shifting gears. This heartbreaking moment marked the end of Corey’s long-time dream, as it concluded in a disappointing and unfortunate manner for the driver.