NASCAR Cup Series: 5 possible playoff bid stealers

NASCAR playoff bid stealers: No. 3 – Corey LaJoie

At first glance, Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie would not be on anyone’s radar as a potential playoff bid stealer. He has never won a Cup race in his career, and he has only two top five finishes to his name.

However, Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he has earned both of his career top five finishes, is coming up fast, and if the three most recent races at the track tell us anything, it’s that he has a serious shot at the win.

In the three races run on the reconfigured Atlanta “superspeedway” layout, LaJoie has two top five finishes. In the other race last July, he was running in second place on the final lap before contact with race leader Chase Elliott sent him into the wall and relegated him to a 21st place finish.

But nonetheless, that run proved LaJoie’s speed at Atlanta was legitimate. On top of all this, his numbers have improved significantly across the board this year compared to last year. Last year, he finished in 31st place in the final standings, while this year, he sits in 21st, a significant improvement in a competitive field.

On top of this, his average finish for 2022 was 24.3, while it sits at 19.4 for 2023. It’s a significant step up from last year, and it begs the question of whether he could be even faster at Atlanta a few weekends from now.

Aside from Atlanta, LaJoie has recorded three top 10 finishes at Daytona. He could once again be a contender for the win there in late August and potentially snag a last-second playoff spot.

A win for LaJoie would be huge for his career as a whole, not just in terms of getting him into the playoffs. He has been viewed as a prime candidate for several solid rides that would be a significant upgrade over his current ride. Should he be able to win a race in the No. 7 Chevrolet, it may be enough for another team owner to offer him a better ride.