Corey LaJoie's Decline in Form Will Likely Continue at Sonoma
6 months agoAlthough much of the backlash against Corey LaJoie has been unwarranted, it's still becoming quite clear that he isn't running as well as he did in 2022 and 2023. His disappointing 32nd-place finish at Gateway while his rookie teammate, Carson Hocevar, finished 8th makes it hard for even his most ardent defenders to make much of a case for him. It seems like perhaps LaJoie is startled by Hocevar's speed and is driving in a style unnatural to him to try to compete with Hocevar when he might perform better with his usual driving style. At this point, LaJoie's underachievement this year will likely predict his future performance better than his past results at a track. Although LaJoie did score two top twenties in his last three Sonoma starts and qualified 17th yesterday (only barely behind Hocevar's 13th), one has to expect his underachievement to continue until proven otherwise.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference