Michigan International Speedway's rain-postponed Cup Series race has featured multiple surprising crashes, the latest of which involved a car suddenly flipping in a stunning incident.
Corey LaJoie was behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet at the time of the incident. He got a run while drafting behind Noah Gragson, so he moved to the inside of the No. 10. The two cars made slight contact, which spun LaJoie's No. 7 to the left.
The car then suddenly flipped upside down. It landed on its roof and slid along the apron of the track, making contact with the SAFER barrier in the process. Once the car reached the infield grass, it flipped upright before bouncing even higher and going upside down once again.
The car landed on all four wheels in the grass. LaJoie was able to drop his window net and climb from his car under his own power. He headed to the infield care center while the track safety crews towed his car back to the garage.
A wild end to @CoreyLaJoie’s day.
He is out of the car and on the way to the infield care center.
pic.twitter.com/XgGe01RxfF— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) August 19, 2024
"The car just flipped in the air," analyst Jeff Burton said while watching the replay. "Quite honestly, that's just not acceptable. There's no way that a car when it turns like that should get up in the air that easily."
NASCAR announced shortly after the incident that LaJoie had undergone evaluation at the infield care center and been released. LaJoie met with NBC Sports' Parker Kligerman and said that this is just the way his year has gone.
"We have a good car and I find a way to flip it upside down," LaJoie said. "Twice this year, we've been upside down and I hadn't been upside down my whole career.
"That's just unfortunately how the year for the No. 7 team has been all year. We've had speed, just haven't been able to put it together."
The incident on Monday was not the only stunning flip that took place at Michigan International Speedway. RSS Racing's Kyle Sieg also flipped at the end of the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
HUGE CRASH AT THE FINISH. Kyle Sieg goes for a wild ride! Justin Allgaier wins at Michigan. pic.twitter.com/Q4ClCAUFgk
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 17, 2024
Sieg was caught up in a multi-car crash on the final lap of the race, which Justin Allgaier won. His car turned sideways after contact from another competitor, and it flipped.
Sieg's car slid down the apron of the track on its roof before hitting the infield grass. It flipped back onto all four tires. The Xfinity Series driver was able to climb from the car. He told media members after exiting the infield care center that he had hurt his right arm and had the wind knocked out of him.
Two days later, LaJoie's car landed in the same stretch of infield grass after flipping.