LaJoie has all the time been an underdog, however he has turned quite a lot of heads within the early races of the 2023 season.
Consistency has the Spire Motorsports driver at present contained in the playoffs, posting 4 top-20 finishes within the first 5 races.
Going into Atlanta, LaJoie was properly conscious of the chance a race like this presents. Final yr, he earned his first ever top-five end within the first race on the reconfigured observe. Later within the yr, he very practically gained on the return journey to Atlanta, crashing after a last-lap block from Chase Elliott.
He was once more sturdy this weekend, bettering his earlier career-best end by one place and crossing the end line in fourth place.
“It feels nice,” he stated post-race. “It is like this taboo, second sucks. Fourth is nice. Fourth is nice for our CELSIUS Camaro and our small workforce. Only a nice factors day. We began off the yr, West Coast swing, actually strong. To return again right here, a little bit of a crapshoot. To get one other profession greatest right here..I do not count on to indicate up and immediately win a race. You need to maintain placing your self in these positions, like Joey (Logano). That’s the reason he wins on a regular basis, as a result of he is up entrance on a regular basis.
“As I get myself some extra confidence, race round these guys, these guys see me up there racing with them, our day goes to return.”
He later added: “I hope (Logano) provides me a shout-out for pushing hm…gave him a great shot there on the finish. I used to be most likely fourth or fifth within the prime lane there. I had a chance to get down and as quickly as I didn’t take it, I used to be like – man that was the race. That was most likely with 18 or 20 to go. That’s why these guys make tens of millions of {dollars}.. they’re fairly good and know the place to place their automobile.
“Fourth-place is a strong day for the No. 7 Celsius Chevy workforce.”
Because the observe turns into extra weathered over time, Lajoie believes that Atlanta might drive just like the Daytona of previous.
“Actually, I believe as this observe will get a bit of extra put on and abrasiveness to it, it’s going to be like previous Daytona, the place you’re bumping and sliding round, and your automobile must be quick,” he defined. “I felt just like the observe misplaced 10 to fifteen p.c of grip from final yr, so dealing with was an enormous factor. You might actually drive or push in the event you wished to, or you may be sideways. Our Chevy drove nice. We had been capable of choose the appropriate lanes on the proper time, just a bit brief.”
LaJoie leaves this race 14th within the championship standings, now waiting for the primary street course of the yr at COTA.
