Corey LaJoie endured a disappointing afternoon in Friday's Love's RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway, finishing 33rd after being involved in the first major accident. The Kaulig Racing driver qualified 22nd and entered the event hoping to secure a strong finish in his No. 10 Ram.
LaJoie initially remained competitive as the field worked through the opening stage, which featured aggressive drafting and multiple changes for the lead. However, his opportunity to challenge for a solid result ended on Lap 17 when a massive accident erupted in Turns 1 and 2.
Stewart Friesen's Toyota became unstable in traffic, triggering a chain-reaction incident that collected eight trucks. LaJoie was among the competitors involved, and the resulting damage prevented
him from continuing. The accident forced NASCAR to temporarily stop the race for cleanup and brought an early conclusion to LaJoie's afternoon.
He ultimately completed just 16 laps and finished 33rd, earning four points. The disappointing result prevented LaJoie from making significant progress in the overall NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. He remains 22nd with 319 points, sitting six behind Mini Tyrrell.
LaJoie will attempt to rebound from the early retirement when the series visits Martinsville Speedway before concluding the season at Homestead-Miami.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Corey LaJoie's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Talladega
