Chris Buescher’s Vicious “Dips**t” Tirade Has Fans Uniting Against Infamous Corey LaJoie

“Why do Spire drivers drive into everyone?” joked one NASCAR fan after the weekend in Indianapolis. While Hendrick Motorsports is in the spotlight for its dominance this season, Spire Motorsports is getting attention for all the bad stuff. Despite two rookie drivers driving Cup cars for the first time, they’ve just gotten themselves in the bad books of their peers. And the blame likely falls on teammate Corey LaJoie for not leading them properly.

At the Brickyard 400, Carson Hocevar caused a commotion on lap 110. That was to be expected, given the young driver’s penchant for the wild side. Still, the involvement of another Spire rookie in a last-lap move on Chris Buescher was unprecedented. It’s clear that Corey LaJoie’s mentoring of the youngsters is going in the wrong direction.

Chris Buescher slams Spire rider

NASCAR returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval with a literal bang. Several caution flags were scattered throughout the race, and some were due to noisy drivers. For example, Carson Hocevar hit Ryan Blaney, who hit Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano, taking the two out in a smoking crash. Hocevar has already earned a bad reputation among fellow drivers who are fed up with him. However, his teammate also caused a similar uproar at the end, which has not received much attention so far.

With two laps to go in the Brickyard 400, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher was driving for a top-20 finish. But then No. 71 Spire driver Zane Smith appeared in his windshield. The rookie threw an aggressive blocker that sent Buescher’s No. 17 car into the grass. He briefly lost his balance, but then steered back up to finish 22nd. His spotter Mike Herman suspected Corey LaJoie was at fault: “Did you hit Corey LaJoie there on the last lap?” But Buescher corrected him, even ignoring Smith’s name: “No. Whoever that idiot is, it’s the 71.” Mike then compared LaJoie to his team: “Same. Zane Smith.”

Corey LaJoie certainly comes to mind when you see these Spire rookies wreaking havoc. LaJoie has been driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports since 2021 and has a commanding presence on the team. And as a veteran driver, he should naturally be the shining example for Hocevar and Smith. But that doesn’t seem to be going so well. At Pocono, we saw LaJoie’s aggressive push destroy Kyle Busch and take out several others. His teammates seem to be mirroring that attitude.

Still, this is Zane Smith’s first time on the loud wagon. The push from Chris Buescher is also significant, as Smith drove the No. 17 car in his 2022 stead when Buescher was struck down with COVID-19. Despite it being his Cup debut, the Gateway race saw Smith lead all 240 laps and finish the car in a respectable 17th place.

But in this moment, Smith also appeared to be part of the erosion of the Spire Motorsports team’s respect. And NASCAR fans are reacting with mouths agape to the ensuing drama, calling Corey LaJoie to account.

NASCAR community points finger at LaJoie

Zane Smith’s last-lap actions at Indianapolis are the latest in a Spire driver to fall under the radar this season. Carson Hocevar took the brunt of it, as NASCAR penalized him heavily after he deliberately wrecked Harrison Burton under yellow in Nashville. However, their ongoing row has fans concerned. One fan came up with a cruel reason: “You gotta make headlines somehow. Maybe pissing off the entire field is their key to success? Edit: I say this as a Spire/LaJoie fan lmao.”

The spotlight fell on Corey LaJoie, given his years of experience in the garage, with one fan emphasizing his responsibility as a senior driver, which he is failing at. “Poor veteran leadership too. Lajoie should be helping these rookies learn to drive cleaner and safer. Instead he’s teaching them the exact opposite, if he helps them at all.” Others joked about spotter #17’s radio line: “Lajoie literally does the same thing or worse, only for you…lol. Spotter probably got confused.” Another fan joined the conversation: “LaJoie” is now a verb.”

Still, Zane Smith’s action surprised people, as he generally has a clean racing record. One fan seemed saddened by this development. “TBF, this is the first time Zane has done something like this. He doesn’t belong in the same aura as LaJoie and Hocevar, even though he’s a rookie. That being said, this was still bad.” Another fan pointed out the hilarious aspect of Buescher forgetting Smith’s name. “Whoever that idiot is in the 71″ is extra cruel when a guy doesn’t even know who you are.”

NASCAR is clearly bashing the Spire Motorsports team for their homogenous wrecking ball mentality. Hopefully they improve their behavior as a collective team.